By IANS
Lucknow : Efforts were on to trace bodies of kanwarias from a swollen river in Uttar Pradesh Friday, a day after a train crushed five of the pilgrims while at least five jumped into the river from a rail bridge.
The incident took place late Thursday in Gonda district, about 120 km from here. The authorities said Friday they were still searching for bodies in the swirling waters of the river Saryu.
Police motorboats and divers have been pressed into service to look for bodies right up to about 200 km downstream.
The accident led to protests in the area, with supporters of the devotees of Lord Shiva blocking the Lucknow-Gorakhpur track till 2.30 a.m. Friday and damaging railway property.
Giving details, Principal Home Secretary J.N. Chamber said the accident occurred when some pilgrims pulled the emergency chain to stop the train and collect the river water.
“As the train came to a halt over the bridge and some got down to fetch the river water, which pilgrims carry to different temples as a part of an annual ritual, another scheduled train came on the other track over the bridge,” he said.
Five were crushed under the wheels of the Lucknow-Gorakhpur Inter-City Express while at least five others jumped into the river. Their bodies were found later.
Divisional railway manager Ashima Singh told IANS: “It is not unusual for ‘kanwarias’ to pull the chain of trains and get off to collect water of holy rivers which they carry to different temples in their areas.”
She also did not rule out the possibility that some kanwarias’ were simply walking across the bridge, as many do, when they got trapped between the two trains.