14 coaches of Indore-Patna Express were derailed in Pukhrayan near Kanpur in the early hours of 20th November. The accident resulted in over 120 fatalities, while more than 200 passengers were injured. The accident also became the first incident where the accident insurance provided by Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) will be put to test.
IRCTC launched the scheme of optional accident cover of up to `10 lakh at a premium of 92 paise on 1st September. The option is available on IRCTC's website and any passenger irrespective of booking class can avail the cover.
The policy provides a cover of `10 lakh for death or permanent disability, ` 7.5 lakh for partial disability, ` 2 lakh for hospitalisation expenses and ` 10,000 for transportation of mortal remains. In case of death, the claim will be paid to the nominee or legal heir.
According to Bhargav Dasgupta, MD, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, their company had provided the insurance to passengers and the policy did not include the railway's liability towards the victim.
As per the policy, victims or their relatives need to reach out to railway authorities for confirmation of the accident. They then need to provide the details of the passenger who was injured or died in the accident. Since it is the first time an accident happened after the initiative, insurance companies are reaching out to victims to settle claims.
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