8 coaches of Agartala-Lokmanya Terminus Express derail in Assam's Dima Hasao
Guwahati, Oct 17: Eight coaches of the Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express derailed at Dibalong station in Assam's Dima Hasao district on Thursday afternoon, Northeast Frontier Railway officials said.
There were no reports of any fatality or major injuries, they said.
“No major casualty or injury and all passengers are safe. We are coordinating with railway authorities and a relief train will shortly reach the site,” Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on X.
The derailed coaches include the power car and the engine of the train.
An accident relief medical train has already left for the site from Lumding along with senior officers to supervise the rescue and restoration work, the officials said.
The cause of the derailment, which occurred at 3.55 pm, was ''being investigated and it will take some time to be ascertained'', an NF Railway spokesperson told PTI.
The passengers of the train will be shifted to a separate rake and transported to the next station, he said.
Restoration work was likely to take time due to the hilly and difficult terrain of the section, the spokesperson said.
Running of trains on the Lumding-Badarpur single-line hill section has been suspended, the officials said.
The railway authorities have also opened helpline numbers at Lumding.
Following the derailment, the NF Railway cancelled the Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri special train and Rangiya-Silchar-Rangiya Express on Thursday along with both the corresponding trains on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Agartala-Firozpur Cantt Express has been short-terminated at Badarpur, the Sabroom-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express at Maibong and the Dullabcherra-Guwahati Express at New Haflong.
The Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Special and Agartala-Guwahati Summer Special will also remain cancelled on Thursday, while the New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati Special, Guwahati-Agartala Summer Special, Kamakhya-Anand Vihar Terminal Special and Silchar-Guwahati Silchar Express have been cancelled on Friday, an NF Railway bulletin said.
Among other changes, the Silchar-Thiruvananthapuram Express, scheduled to leave on Thursday, has been rescheduled to leave at 6 am hours on Friday, while the SMVT Bengaluru-Agartala Humsafar Express, which began its journey on October 15, will be regulated suitably, it said.
8 coaches of Train 12520 Agartala –LTT Express derailed at Dibalong station near Lumding at 15:55 Hrs today. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐣𝐮𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞.
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) October 17, 2024
We are coordinating railway authorities…
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I have a chance to become CM of Karnataka, says Ex-Minister B Nagendra
Ballari (Karnataka), Oct 17: Congress MLA B Nagendra, who was released on bail in the multi-crore Valmiki Corporation 'scam' case, on Thursday said he has a great future as he too has a chance to become the Chief Minister of the state.
Reacting to MLA Janardhana Reddy’s statement that there were 18 criminal cases against him, Nagendra told reporters here that there are instances of people with 100 criminal cases becoming Chief Minister.
Nagendra resigned as the Tribal Welfare Minister after the Rs 89.63 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation came to light.
The Directorate of Enforcement had arrested him and he was released on bail after three and half months on Wednesday.
“Not just 18, but those with 100 cases became Chief Minister. In the coming days I too have a great future. If I work dedicatedly for the Congress, why shouldn’t I become the Chief Minister?” the former minister asked.
He said, “Didn’t Congress make an ordinary worker like me a minister? Congress has a tradition of honouring ordinary workers.”
On his meeting with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, he said he explained to him about the irregularities in the Valmiki Corporation.
“In the last three months, I could not discuss with him anything. After my sudden arrest, I could not speak to him. I told him about the incident that happened,” Nagendra said.
Regarding the scam, the Congress MLA said the irregularities gave him immense pain because he and the state government want that not a single rupee should be allowed to go.
“We have recovered Rs 79 crore. Karnataka’s SIT is the only institution which has recovered 99 per cent of the amount. Only Rs three crore has to be recovered. We will not let go even a single rupee. We will not spare these thieves,” he said.
Questioning those accused of being behind the scam, he sought to know whether money was recovered from him.
“Has the money recovered from me? The SIT has given me a clean chit. After the SIT gave me a clean chit, they (BJP) were afraid that the Congress will regain strength in Ballari. Hence they decided to ruin me. However, the court took note of it and granted me bail. I will come out clean in this case,” Nagendra said.
According to him, he was targeted because he is a growing leader and the BJP was not able to tolerate him because he takes everyone along.
He accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise the Congress government in Karnataka.
“When did BJP come to power on its own in Karnataka? Though we won 134 out of 224 seats in the assembly election, the BJP is trying to make petty attempts to destabilise our government.”
To a question will he would become minister again, Nagendra said the matter is left to the party high command.
“The court has granted bail. I am confident. It is left to the Chief Minister, high command and party president and Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar. Whatever decision they take, I will stick to it,” the MLA said.
