Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh: At least 12 people were killed and 45 others got injured after the Krishak Express hit the Lucknow-Barauni Express near Gorakhpur late on Tuesday night.

“At 11.15 pm, the Krishak Express had a side-collision when its locomotive collided with a moving train, the Lucknow-Barauni Express, near the Gorakhpur Cant station. The seventh, eighth and ninth coaches are affected,” Railway Board chairman Arunendra Kumar told sources in New Delhi.

“The eighth and ninth coaches have capsized, while the seventh coach is derailed. The Railways medical teams, ambulances and officers have already reached the site. The evacuation and relief procedures have already started and other officers are also reaching the site. A helpline has been started for the benefit of passengers,” he added.

Talking about the death toll, Kumar said, “We are yet to know of a concrete number but it appears that 12 people have been killed and at least 45 were injured in the accident.”

Meanwhile, CRPO Alok Kumar Singh, who was present at the accident site, said: “At first sight, it appears that the Krishak Express and the Lucknow-Barauni Express had a side-collision. We have just reached the site and are carrying out rescue operations, and are taking the injured to hospitals.”

“The information that we have received is that there might be some people who are trapped but we do not know the numbers. We are arranging for light at the site so that the position is clear,” he added.

Ram Kumar Chaudhary, a passenger on the Lucknow-Barauni Express who was injured in the accident, told sources, “We were all asleep when we heard a loud bang and felt a large jolt. The next we knew was that all the passengers were piled one on top of the other and the coach was lying on its side.”

The movement of all trains on the Gorakhpur-Varanasi track has been disrupted due to the accident.

The Krishak Express was travelling from Varanasi to Gorakhpur while the Lucknow-Barauni Express was going from Lucknow to Barauni.