The head of India's railways has quit after a series of deadly accidents on the crumbling network, an official said on Wednesday.
The move came days after 23 people were killed when a train derailed in northern India on Saturday, the fourth major disaster on the country's railways this year.
K Mittal, who had been in the post since 2014, will be succeeded by Ashwani Lohani, a former engineer credited with helping state-run Air India turn its first profit after over a decade of losses.
"Mr Lohani has been appointed as the chairman of railway board. Mr Mittal's resignation has been accepted," a railway official said on condition of anonymity.The government has come under pressure after a series of accidents.
Railway minister Suresh Prabhu indicated on Wednesday that he had offered his resignation to the prime minister, who had asked him to hold off.
Mr Prabhu tweeted that he was "extremely pained by the unfortunate accidents, injuries to passengers and loss of precious lives" and took full moral responsibility.
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Read more:
More than 20 people killed in India train accident
India’s railways need a facelift
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The latest rail accident took place on Wednesday morning, when the Kafiyat Express derailed in Uttar Pradesh injuring at least 74 people.
The derailment occurred at 2.40am when a truck carrying sand for construction overturned on the tracks near Auraiya town.
Senior state government official Arvind Kumar said the train driver was forced to brake and the impact caused eight coaches and the engine to go off the rails.
On Sunday, 23 people were killed after 14 coaches of a train derailed in a different part of the state. An investigation has been ordered into that accident.
Accidents are relatively common on India's huge but badly maintained railway network. The government-run rail network operates 9,000 passenger trains and carries some 23 million passengers every day.
The network is the world's fourth largest by distance and remains the main form of travel in the vast country, but safety has been a concern amid a spate of accidents.
It is poorly funded and deadly accidents occur frequently, with experts blaming under-investment and poor safety standards.
A 2012 government report described the loss of 15,000 passengers to rail accidents every year in India as a "massacre".
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Pros%20and%20cons%20of%20BNPL
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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
The Outsider
Stephen King, Penguin
The past winners
2009 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2010 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2011 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren)
2012 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus)
2013 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull)
2014 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2015 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)
2016 - Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
2017 - Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes)
Company%C2%A0profile
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If you go
The flights
The closest international airport for those travelling from the UAE is Denver, Colorado. British Airways (www.ba.com) flies from the UAE via London from Dh3,700 return, including taxes. From there, transfers can be arranged to the ranch or it’s a seven-hour drive. Alternatively, take an internal flight to the counties of Cody, Casper, or Billings
The stay
Red Reflet offers a series of packages, with prices varying depending on season. All meals and activities are included, with prices starting from US$2,218 (Dh7,150) per person for a minimum stay of three nights, including taxes. For more information, visit red-reflet-ranch.net.
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Emergency
Director: Kangana Ranaut
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Anupam Kher, Shreyas Talpade, Milind Soman, Mahima Chaudhry
Rating: 2/5
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Game Changer
Director: Shankar
Stars: Ram Charan, Kiara Advani, Anjali, S J Suryah, Jayaram
Rating: 2/5
Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
