Kanpur, Nov 20 (IANS): Sundays train disaster in Kanpur of Uttar Pradesh, in which over 100 people were killed, could have been caused due to rail fracture, Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha said.
"A high-level probe has already been ordered and we will take strict action. The engineers and experts will probe the cause of the accident, but it appears there was a rail fracture," Sinha told media persons at the accident site.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a host of VIPs mourned the deaths. Modi announced ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of each of those killed and Rs 50,000 for each of the seriously injured.
According to officials, 14 coaches of the Indore-Patna Express derailed just after 3 a.m. near Pukhrayan station, about 60 km from Kanpur city, killing more than 100 passengers and leaving 150 injured.