Bodies of 12 Kanwariyas, who were run over by an express train near Saryu Ghat railway station on Thursday night, have been recovered from Saryu river, taking the death toll in the tragedy to 28.

On Thursday night, 16 Kanwariyas (devotees of Lord Shiva [Images]) were crushed to death by an express train near Saryu Ghat railway station of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday

Divers from the paramilitary Provincial Armed Constabulary were searching for more bodies in Saryu as several Kanwariyas had jumped into the river to avoid the Intercity Express train.

The mishap occurred on Lucknow-Gorakhpur section when the Lucknow-Gonda passenger train slowed down on the bridge over Saryu river ahead of the station and a large number of Kanwariyas got off the train in a bid to take water from the river for offerings at a temple at Karnelganj, northern railway divisional magistrate Ashima Singh said.

At this point, the Gorakhpur-bound Intercity Express pulled up on the adjacent track and crushed the Kanwariyas to death, she said.

Soon after the incident, a group of Kanwariyas set fire to one of the cabins at the railway station, some kiosks and a fire tender. Movement of trains on the section had come to a halt following the incident.

"The situation in Karnailganj and surrounding areas, which had witnessed arson and violence following the incident, was fast returning to normal," said Deputy Inspector General of Police (Devi Patan) Sanjay S Tarde.

Though Kajri Mela went on as per schedule, shops and markets in Karnailganj township remained closed on Friday.  

Railway sources said that traffic on the Lucknow-Gorakhpur section has been restored but trains from Lucknow were running late.