Rail service restored

At least 23 bodies are yet to be identified.

More than 40 hours after the derailment of 15 coaches of the Howrah-Delhi Kalka Mail,which left nearly 70 dead and about 300 injured,at Malwan in Fatehpur,the route one of the busiest in the country was finally opened for traffic on Tuesday.

According to chief PRO (North Central Railway),Sandeep Mathur,the track was restored and a goods train was the first one to pass through the down-line (from Delhi to Howrah) around 7 am. The up-line was also restored and the Mathura Express was the first to cross the stretch around 10.40 am.

Due to the accident on Sunday afternoon,the railways had to cancel nearly 27 trains and divert more than 65. The trains were being diverted from Allahabad towards Oonchahar and then to Kanpur. Many trains,including some Rajdhanis,were running nearly seven to eight hours behind schedule.

At Fatehpur,the district administration was trying to ensure that bodies brought to the mortuary were identified at the earliest.

At least 23 bodies are yet to be identified. It may be possible that relatives or family members of some of the victims are yet to arrive, said Chief Development Officer (Fatehpur) Mahendra Chauraisa.

While Union Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal had visited the site on the day of the accident,BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Uma Bharati visited the spot and the hospital on Tuesday.