Madhubani, May 22: Twenty persons, including eight women and nine children, were killed when the SUV they were travelling in was hit by Nizamuddin-Jaynagar Garib Rath Express (12570 Down) at an unmanned level crossing under Darbhanga-Jaynagar railway section near Mangarpati village today around 12.30pm.

Seventeen persons died on the spot. Nine persons sustaining critical injuries were rushed to Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital. Three of them succumbed to injuries at the hospital, while the rest are battling for their lives.

Expressing grief over the incident, chief minister Nitish Kumar has ordered a magisterial inquiry.

Sources said the occupants of the SUV were related to Anirudh Yadav, whose wife Rekha Devi won the election for the mukhiya’s post from Bharira Bishunpur panchayat of Rajnagar block in Madhubani. The group was en route from Bishunpur village to Rajnagar to attend Rekha’s victory rally.

Some of the victims were identified as Dulari (2), Ranjan (5), Lalita (8), Rajkumari (29), Usha (25), Muni (3), Sapna (5), Kalpana (12) and Kusum (6). The rest could not be identified till reports last came in.

Following the accident, people from nearby villages halted the train, said sources. Senior railway officials, the district magistrate and the superintendent of police reached the spot to pacify the angry mob, which demanded compensation to families of the victims.

Later, the district magistrate distributed Rs 10,000 for cremation of each of the victims. Under special provision, the state announced compensation of Rs 1 lakh and a sum of Rs 50,000 from the chief minister’s relief fund for the dependents of each victim.

Divisional railway manager of Samastipur Satya Prakash Trivedi told The Telegraph that the railway would pay Rs 2 lakh to the kin of each victim and Rs 50,000 to each injured under special provision.

Nitish has directed officials concerned to ensure proper treatment of the injured and stressed immediate installation of a gate at Rajnagar level crossing.