Nine people died and over 30 others were injured after a Kanchanjunga Express derailed on Monday due to being hit from behind by a goods train in Bengal’s Siliguri. The Kanchanjunga Express was en route to the Sealdah station in Kolkata from Tripura’s Agartala when the accident took place.
Chairperson and CEO of the Railway Board Jaya Varma Sinha said rescue operations were completed. She added that a preliminary investigation suggested the driver of the goods train disregarded the signal and hit the Kanchanjunga Express.
However, internal documents showed that the goods train was allowed to cross all red signals as the automatic signalling had “failed”.
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Three rear compartments of the Kanchanjunga Express derailed as a result of the massive collision, with one coach being flung into the air. The accident happened in Siliguri’s Rangapani region, near to North Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri station.
Kanchanjunga Express accident in Bengal: Latest updates
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The chairperson of the Railway Board, Jaya Varma Sinha, said the collision near New Jalpaiguri happened because a goods train disregarded the signal and hit the Kanchanjunga Express. She said a guard’s coach and two parcel vans of Kanchanjunga Express were destroyed, preventing damage to passenger coaches.
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A source in the Indian Railways told PTI that the automatic signalling system between Ranipatra station and Chattar Hat Junction in West Bengal, where the accident took place, was defective since 5.50 in the morning.
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A financial aid of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund (PMNRF) has been announced for the families of the deceased, and Rs 50,000 for those injured. Meanwhile, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced financial aid of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for those who sustained minor injuries.
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Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took stock of relief operations at the accident site. After reaching Bengal, he was seen taking a bike ride to reach the accident site.
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The Congress demanded Ashwini Vaishnaw’s resignation while flagging the “mismanagement” of the ministry. Congress’s Supriya Shrinate said the minister was “busy with making reels” and had no time to spare to discuss the safety of people.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives, calling the incident “saddening”. President Droupadi Murmu, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, and Union Minister JP Nadda, among others, also condoled the loss of lives in the accident and wished a speedy recovery of the injured passengers.
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Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed “shock” over the tragic accident, saying the district magistrate, doctors and ambulances had been rushed to the spot. She will also visit the accident site.
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The Kanchanjunga Express left for Sealdah with 15 coaches after the accident. Upon reaching Aluabari station, breakfast was arranged for the passengers by the local voluntary organisations of the area. Water, biscuits, cakes and various cooked food items were given to the passengers.
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Speaking to reporters, most of the passengers blamed the negligence of the Indian Railways for the accident.
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A special helpdesk has been set up at the Sealdah station in Kolkata in connection with the accident. Those seeking information or assistance regarding the accident can contact the helpline numbers – 033-23508794 and 033-23833326.
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