Railway Ministry offers compensation in Kushinagar train-bus collision, senior level inquiry ordered

A train rammed into a school bus carrying 25 children, all pupils of Divine Public School, at an unmanned level crossing in Kushinagar on Thursday morning, killing at least 13 children and injuring eight others, reports said.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, in an official release, said, “I am deeply anguished and pained by the loss of lives of young school children at an unmanned level crossing (UMLC) in Kushinagar, UP. My thoughts are with families of the deceased and I pray for the early recovery of the injured."

He also said tha tthe Ministry of Railways will provide an ex gratia amount of Rs 2 lakh for kin of the deceased, Rs 1 lakh for those with serious injuries and Rs 50,000 for those with simple injuries.

"I have ordered a senior level enquiry into the incident. We stand committed to take all possible steps to avoid such accidents in future," said Goyal.

Meanwhile, commenting on the incident, an Indian Railways spokesperson has blamed negligence on the part of the van driver, who despite being warned by the gate operator, refused to listen.

"He [the driver] didn't pay any heed, this is a case of pure negligence," the spokesperson said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who met with the injured and the victims' families, has ordered an investigation, while announcing a compensation of Rs. 2 lakh for the families of the children.