Vasco Da Gama train derailment: Rail official suspended

Initial investigations suggested that a rail fracture led to the derailment

A derailed coach of Patna-bound express train near near Manikpur railway station in Chitrakoot district of Uttar Pradesh.

The Indian Railways on Tuesday suspended a senior section officer in-charge of tracks in connection with the November 24 derailment of the Vasco Da Gama Express which left three passengers dead.

Thirteen coaches of the Patna-bound passenger train had derailed near Manikpur Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh.

“A permanent way inspector also called a senior section officer, Rajesh Verma, who was in-charge of Manikpur has been suspended over the incident pending investigation”, Railway spokesperson Anil Saxena said.

While the real reason behind the accident can be ascertained only after a probe by the Commissioner of Railway Safety, initial investigations suggested that a rail fracture led to the derailment.