Railway minister Sadananda Gowda has said that cause of derailment of Dibrugarh 
Rajdhani is being investigated but the sabotage angle cannot be ruled out.
Talking to the media after visiting accident site near Chhapra, Gowada said that Commissioner Railway Safety will conduct a probe into the reasons of mishap.
Railway minister was accompanied by Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha, BJP MP Rajiv Pratap Rudy, BJP leader Sushil Modi, Railway board member Traffic, Member Mechanical and other railway officials.
He added that he has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Home Minister Rajnath Singh about the incident.
5 KILLED, 8 INJURED IN RAJDHANI DERAILMENT IN CHAPRA
At least five passengers have been killed and 8 others injured, some of them seriously, when 12 coaches of the Dibrugarh-bound Rajdhani Express derailed near Chapra in Bihar’s Saran district on Wednesday.
Chief Public Relations Officer of East Central Railway (ECR) Arvind Kumar Rajak said, seven coaches-B-5 to B-10 and the power car of the Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani derailed at the Golden Ganj station, about 75 km from Patna, while five coaches, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4 and the pantry car overturned at around 2:11 AM.
Rajak said some of the coaches were hurled as far as 700 feet away from the track.
Seriously injured passengers were taken to the Patna Medical College and Hospital, its Principal Amarkant Jha Amar said.
The rest were being treated at Chapra, he said.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh that it was too early to blame Maoists for the derailment.
There was a blast on the track, which could have caused the derailment,” Railway Board Chairman Arunendra Kumar said in Delhi.
“Another goods train, 60 km away from the station, also got derailed due to a blast. 18 wagons got derailed in the accident,” Kumar said.
The Maoists had given a bandh call during the day to protest action by security forces in the area, he said.
Three bombs were also recovered from Dariapur bazar area in the district AND were being defused. DIG Saran Division Binod Kumar said that a Maoist hand behind the planting of bombs could not be ruled out.
Earlier in New Delhi, expressing grief over the loss of lives, Railway minister Gowda announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the family of each of the dead, Rs one lakh for the grievously injured passengers and Rs 20,000 for those with minor injuries.
He directed the Railway administration to render the best possible treatment to the injured passengers.
Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi disputed that the accident was caused by Maoists.
“Prima facie it does not appear to be the handiwork of Maoists in the Rajdhani derailment at Chapra,” he told reporters.
“No trace of blast on the track or any other evidence suggesting sabotage was found so far,” he said.
“It appears to be a result of error on the part of Railways,” he said.
Manjhi said he spoke to the Railway minister and drew his attention toward announcement of ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the families of the dead when the standard practice was to pay Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia in such cases.
Saran District Magistrate Kundan Kumar also said that the accident seemed be due to operational problems and not caused by Maoists.
He told reporters on the spot that another train Kaviguru Express had crossed the area safely 15 minutes before the Rajdhani Express.
Moreover, the place where the train derailed was not a secluded place, but in a town with regular railway traffic.
Therefore, any attempt to plant bombs or other Maoist activity of Maoists could have been easily spotted, the DM said.
Kumar also said the casualty would have been higher, if it was an act of sabotage.
Saran Superintendent of Police Sudhir Kumar Singh also ruled out a Maoist hand in the incident.
The Railways ordered an enquiry to be conducted by Commissioner Railway Safety, Eastern Circle to ascertain the cause of derailment.
Helplines were set up at Chapra, Samastipur, Hajipur, Sonpur, Barauni, Muzaffarpur, Lucknow, Varanasi, Balia, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Mariani, Dimapur, Lumding, New Coochbehar, New Jalpaiguri and Katihar.
Stranded passengers were sent to Hajipur, headquarter of ECR, by a special train from where they would be sent on their onward journey, the ECR CPRO said.
PREZ EXPRESSES GRIEF OVER LOSS OF LIVES IN TRAIN MISHAP
President Pranab Mukherjee has expressed grief over the loss of lives in Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express mishap and hoped that authorities will take necessary measures to urgently investigate the cause behind the accident.
“I am saddened to learn about the derailment of a train near Chhapra (in Bihar) this morning, in which some persons have lost their lives and many others are injured.
“I call upon the state government and railway authorities to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved families as well as the best of medical attention to the injured,” Mukherjee said.
He hoped that the authorities concerned will take measures to urgently probe the cause behind the accident.
“I am sure authorities will be also taking necessary measures to urgently investigate the cause of the incident and put in place necessary remedial measures,” the President said.
Delhi-Dibrugarh helpline:
Lucknow: 9794830976, Varanasi: 0542-2503814, 0542-2226778, 0542-2224742;
New Delhi: 011-23342954; Rly. 030-22280,
Bareli: 3101-32222 (Rly.), 2558161, 2558162 (P&T), Ballia: 05498-223024, 09794843923,
Chhapra: 06152-243409, 06152-237807, 09771443941,
Samastipur: 06274-222613, 025-32131 (Rly.), Gazipur city: 0548-2223435, 09794843922
SS/Chhapra Kachehari: 0152-243409, Hajipur: 06224-272230, Muzffarpur Jn: 0621-2213034 (Rly.); Barauni: 06279-65210