Ten people died and at least 30 were seriously injured when 14 coaches of the Puri-Haridwar-Kalinga Utkal Express got derailed in Uttar Pradesh’s Khatauli on Saturday, ANI reported. An anti-terrorism squad has been deployed to the site as a precautionary measure, Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General (Law and Order) Anand Kumar said.

National Disaster Response Force teams have been deployed to the site in Muzaffarnagar. The train was headed from Odisha’s Puri to Uttarakhand’s Haridwar. “10 people have been killed, 30 to 40 seriously injured,” Kumar said. “30 ambulances have reached the spot of the tragedy.”

Indian Railways spokesperson Anil Saxena said there was no information on the cause of the derailment. “Stranded passengers will be offered other travel options, Chief Public Relations Officer Neeraj Sharma told ANI.

On Twitter, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said he had asked the Railway Board Chairperson to monitor the rescue operations. “Medical vans sent to the site,” Prabhu tweeted. The Union Railway Minister announced ex gratia payment of Rs 3.5 lakh for the families of those who died in the accident, Rs 50,000 for those who were seriously injured and Rs 25,000 for those with minor injuries.

Prabhu ordered an inquiry into the matter and said that any lapse would be dealt with strictly. Minister of State for Railways Manoj Sinha will inspect the derailment site with senior officials, Prabhu tweeted.

Reactions to the derailment

Chief Minister Adityanath described the incident as sad and said his government would ensure proper medical treatment for the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he was “extremely pained” by the incident and said the Railways Ministry was monitoring the situation closely.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad Yadav demanded Adityanath’s resignation over the incident. “How will people travel if there is no guarantee of safety?” the RJD leader said.

Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi also expressed shock at the tragedy. President Ram Nath Kovind said his thoughts were with the deceased and their families.

“Since the Modi Govt took over in May 2014, 259 passengers have lost their lives and 899 have been injured in 27 train accidents,” Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said. “When will the government wake up?”