9 killed, over 40 injured as goods train rams Kanchanjunga Express in Bengal

The accident, which took place on the main rail link from Kolkata to Siliguri, affected long-distance train services, officials also said.

Nine persons were killed and at least 40 injured after the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express from Agartala was hit by a goods train from the rear in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district, 11 km from New Jalpaiguri station. The incident took place at 8.55 am Monday. The dead include seven passengers, the loco pilot of the Amingaon (Assam)-Jharsuguda (Odisha) goods train, and another Railways staffer.

Such was the impact of the collision that three coaches at the rear of Kanchanjunga Express derailed between Rangapani and Chhatarhat stations, under the Northeast Frontier Railway zone. Rescue efforts began swiftly but it took a while to get the trapped passengers out because of the heavy rain in Siliguri since morning.

“The local people were very helpful,” said Abhishek Roy, Additional Superintendent of Police, Kurseong, from the accident spot.

Mohammad Momirul, 32, was among the first to rush to the accident site after he heard a loud sound. Many in his village were celebrating Eid, and the festivities came to an abrupt halt as soon as the collision took place.

“The loco pilot was crushed under a wheel of the passenger train. He was dead already… I regret not being able to save a man who died holding my hand,” Momirul said. Around 150 people from Chotonirmal village, located just behind the railway tracks, were the first responders.

The accident, which took place on the main rail link from Kolkata to Siliguri, also affected long-distance train services. This is the highest toll in a railway accident since last year’s Balasore train collision, in which 296 people had died.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the two of the coaches that derailed on Monday were parcel coaches. “A goods train overshot and collided with the Kanchenjunga Express. Rescue operations are in full swing,” said Vaishnaw, who was at the time in the war room in Delhi monitoring the situation. He left for the accident site later.

The Indian Railways, National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force worked “in close coordination” to carry out the rescue, he said.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also headed to the spot, took aim at the Centre over the accident and said the Railways had compromised with passenger safety by not implementing the anti-collision device, or Kavach, in all its trains.

“Accidents can happen; it’s a fact. But where was the anti-collision device, which I had implemented when I was the Railway Minister? They call it by some different name today (Kavach). But my priority is to provide raksha kavach (protective shield) to passengers. This is not a criticism. But it is a fact that there is no focus on passenger amenities,” Banerjee said before leaving for the accident site.

“Today, the Railway budget is not held separately. The department is not what it used to be. There is a Ministry, but it has lost its shine. Railways has become parentless. We can notice the grand inaugurations and beautifications like fashion shows but passengers and railway staff are not taken care of,” she said.

Later in the day, on reaching the site of the accident, Vaishnaw said, “Right now our focus is on restoration (of train services) as the rescue operation has been completed. This is the main line. This is not the time for politics. All the focus should be on rescue and restoration. Our complete focus is on passenger safety. We shall discuss this in detail at another time. Let me first take stock of the rescue and restoration work. I will also meet the injured.”

By 5.40 pm, the ‘up line’ for trains going towards New Jalpaiguri had been restored, and the ‘down line’ was set to be restored shortly.

He said an investigation will be carried out to find the cause of the accident. “The Commissioner of Railway Safety will carry out the investigation. In fact, the investigation has already begun. We have got the data log and everything. We will find out the lapses which led to this incident and ensure that such lapses do not take place in the future,” he said.