At least 14 train roof-top travellers were killed and a dozen were seriously injured when they crashed into the ceiling of an over-bridge near Roza station in Shahajahanpur, about 190 km from Lucknow on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Additional Director General of Police Brij Lal, "The victims were mostly aspirants who had gone to Barielly seeking recruitment in the Indo-Tibetan Border Police that undertook a major recruitment drive there."
Shahjahanpur district hospital chief medical superintendent Dr. D.K.Sonkar said, "While six persons died on the spot, eight later succumbed to their injuries. Fourteen others were still hospitalised until late evening."
Earlier during the day, a number of these aspirants had resorted to violence, torching vehicles, damaging shops and fighting pitched battles with the police. Alleging irregularities and mismanagement in the recruitment drive, the youth targeted bus stations, petrol pumps and other public property.
Around six state-owned buses and several other vehicles were set on fire and several shops were damaged by the agitators.
Since the recruitment drive was to cover 11 states, thousands of aspirants had converged at Barielly, causing a major congestion at both
Since the coaches were all jam-packed, hundreds of young men climbed atop the Himgiri Express that was on its way to Bihar, from where a large number of applicants had arrived.
"The journey went fine up to Shahjahanpur; however no sooner than it started from Shahjahanpur and headed for Roza, they were caught unawares by an approaching over-bridge, under which the train had to pass; while some of the roof-riders managed to lie flat and save their lives, others were hit hard by the impact," said a railway official.
Medical relief was rushed from Shahjahanpur where the injured were admitted.
"Train traffic remained disrupted for some time after which the train was moved further, with still a large number of roof-riders", he said.
However, before the train reached Lucknow, alert local rail officials put their act together to keep a special train in readiness to carry the Himgiri roof-riders.
"We have managed to pick up a few coaches to keep a special train in readiness at Lucknow to prevent further roof travel during the night that could be even more unsafe," senior divisional railway operations manager Vikas Chaube told rediff.com.
