Vaibhavwadi (Sindhudurg district): In the first major accident on the Konkan railway network, 34 persons, including three children and four women, were killed and 25 others injured, 15 seriously, when four bogies of Karwar-Mumbai holiday special telescoped over the engine and derailed between Vaibhavwadi and Rajapur stations on June 22 night.

A contingent of Army was rushed from Goa to help in the rescue operations, which was still continuing, Sindhudurg police control said.

The injured have been admitted to hospitals in Kankavli and Oras in Sindhudurg district. To and fro services on the route have been suspended and efforts were being made to shift the injured to hospitals in Goa, Konkan railway authorities said in Mumbai.

The accident occurred at about 10.00 pm (IST) between Vaibhavwadi and Rajapur stations.

The engine of the train dashed against a huge boulder, which had fallen on the track. The speeding train came to a grinding halt and the engine derailed. Under the impact, four bogies telescoped over each other.

Almost simultaneously, there was a landslide and huge boulders and mud came rolling down from the surrounding hillock and spread over the telescoped bogies. Several people were still trapped inside and rescue operations were on, police control in Sindhudurg said.

PTI