June 17th 2024.
On Monday, an unfortunate incident occurred in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal, where the Kanchanjunga Express derailed, resulting in the loss of seven passengers and two railway staffers. The Ministry of Railways released a statement stating that 41 individuals were also injured, with nine of them sustaining serious injuries and the remaining 32 with minor injuries.
The incident took place on the "Down line" near the New Jalpaiguri station, approximately 600 km away from Kolkata. The Kanchanjunga Express, which was en route to Sealdah from Agartala, was hit from behind by a goods train, causing the derailment. Initially, there were reports of 15 casualties, but the Ministry clarified that the number of deaths stands at nine as of now.
The Railway Minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, personally visited the accident site in the afternoon. Prime Minister Narendra Modi also expressed his condolences and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured. He called the accident tragic and stated that his thoughts are with the families of those who lost their lives.
Reaching the spot on a motorbike as the road was too narrow for larger vehicles, the Railway Minister took stock of the relief operations and announced compensation for the injured and the families of the deceased. He mentioned that Rs 10 lakh would be given to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh to the seriously injured, and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety has initiated an investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The Minister assured that necessary measures will be taken to avoid such incidents in the future. He also emphasized the importance of restoring train operations on the route connecting northeast India with the rest of the country.
According to the Railway Board Chairperson, Jaya Varma Sinha, the collision occurred because the goods train ignored the signal and hit the Kanchanjunga Express. The passenger train was stationary on the tracks, and the goods train rammed into it from behind, as per preliminary reports.
Documents showed that the goods train was allowed to cross all red signals due to a defective automatic signalling system. A railway source revealed that the automatic signalling system between Ranipatra and CAT had been faulty since 5:50 am. As a result, the train stopped between RNI and CAT, and the reason behind it is yet unknown.
Before heading to the accident site, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the railway authorities for their lack of concern towards passenger amenities. She alleged that they are only interested in increasing fares and not improving the overall experience for the passengers.
Governor C V Ananda Bose and the Chief Minister are scheduled to visit the site to oversee the relief operations and meet the injured. The train, meanwhile, has resumed its journey to Kolkata, with unaffected coaches and passengers onboard.
Passengers who were onboard the Kanchanjunga Express during the accident described the sudden jerk and loud noise as the goods train collided with their train from behind. Some passengers were having tea when the train suddenly stopped, causing them to fall off their seats. A pregnant woman, traveling with her family, fell off her seat upon impact.
The rescue operations also started late, and passengers had to wait for some time before they could safely disembark. Long-distance trains from North Bengal and the northeastern part of the country were also affected due to the accident. Eastern Railway officials announced that several trains would be diverted through a different route, as the tracks remained blocked.
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