Chandigarh: British High Commissioner James Bevan yesterday said he was satisfied with the response of the Indian railway authorities following the derailment of the Kalka-Shimla toy train last Saturday in Himachal Pradesh which left two British women dead and seven Britons injured.
Bevan, who arrived here yesterday, met the injured Britons at a private hospital in Mohali, adjoining Chandigarh, around 30km from the accident spot near Parwanoo in Himachal Pradesh.
Two women, Loraine Toner and Joan Nickolas, both 60, died in the accident.
“I have spoken to the injured British nationals. We are satisfied with the response of the Indian railway authorities,” Bevan said.
He said there was no move to issue a travel advisory for Britons travelling by the toy train to Shimla.
“It is not for me to comment on this. We will wait to see the results of the investigation. Over 800,000 British tourists visit India every year and it is trouble-free,” Bevan said.
Nitin Yogesh, senior consultant for neurosurgery at Max Hospital, said the condition of the three British nationals admitted to the hospital in Mohali was stable.
A hospital statement said Diane Logan sustained head and chest injuries and was conscious and stable, while Andrew Summerhayes was still not fully conscious. George Bertram has a laceration on the scalp, which has been sutured, and a soft tissue injury on the right arm. Deputy High Commissioner David Lelliott also visited the patients.
Ten Britons, who were injured, were discharged from the hospital. Those who were discharged after first aid were Halder Calder, Ian Calder, Paul Carr, Stephen Frasher, Marion Homes, Judic, Richirj, Robert, John and Christine Fraser.
Train services resumed on the Kalka-Shimla railway line after the chartered special toy train, carrying a group of 37 foreigners, derailed last Saturday afternoon.
Meanwhile, train services resumed on the Kalka-Shimla railway line after a chartered toy train carrying a group of 37 foreigners derailed on Saturday killing two Britons, officials said yesterday. The speed of the trains on this section has been reduced to lessen possibility of accidents in future.
Traffic on the world heritage rail line was disrupted after the train derailed near Kalka in Haryana last Saturday.
He said all trains plying between Kalka in Haryana and the Himachal Pradesh capital were running on schedule.
Over-speeding at a curve was the cause of the accident, one of the survivors told police.
IANS
