In Uttar Pradesh, five kids were killed and twelve others injured when their schools van crashed with a passenger train on an unmanned crossing in Maunath Bhanjan district today. The tragic incident occurred near Mahaso village under Ranipur police station around this morning. ADM Samir Verma said that all the injured kids have been admitted in the District hospital while four critically injured children have been referred to Varanasi. Eye witnesses say that the school van was filled with around twenty children, ten more than its normal capacity.

Besides, the driver of the van was listening music through earphone which disabled him to hear the train horn in dense fog. Some survived kids said that due to high volume music into the ears, the driver could not hear the frightening shrieks and alarms raised by kids who saw the fast approaching train. By the time driver could notice the train, it was too late and five innocent lives were lost for no fault of theirs.

Meanwhile, Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu rushed to Mau in Uttar Pradesh where five children were killed and several others injured after a train rammed into a school bus at an unmanned railway crossing. Talking to reporters outside Parliament, Mr. Prabhu termed the incident as extremely unfortunate and said he will meet family members of the children. He said there are 11 thousand unmanned railway crossings in the country and the government is working to find out a way to prevent such accidents.The Minister said the centre is also mulling on deployment of personnel with walkie talkies at unmanned railway crossings. The Lok Sabha today paid tributes to the victims of Rail accident which claimed five lives in Mau district of Uttar Pradesh.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has announced an ex-gratia of two lakh rupees each to the next of the kin of deceased in the rail accident at Mau in Uttar Pradesh. Mr. Prabhu has announced one lakh rupees to the grievously injured and a sum of 20,000 rupees to persons who have sustained minor injuries.