15 People Died and Dozens were Injured in a Train Crash in Eastern India

Picture courtesy: (AP Photo/Diptendu Dutta) Rescue teams and people gathered at the scene of the accident in West Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri.

(The Post News)- Fifteen people died and around 60 were injured in a train accident in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal.

The accident occurred Monday morning, June 17, in New Jalpaiguri district when a goods train collided with a stationary passenger train, the Kanchenjungha Express.

Dramatic footage from the accident scene showed the express train carriages floating in the air.

Authorities assume that “human error” may have led to the accident. A thorough investigation will be executed.

Abhishek Roy, a senior police officer in Darjeeling district, told Reuters that 15 bodies had been recovered from the wrecked carriages.

He added that 54 people were injured and that police and National Disaster Response Force rescue teams were working to clear debris from the derailed carriages.

India has the world’s largest rail network, with millions of passengers daily.

However, much of its rail infrastructure needs to be improved or upgraded.

Officials said that ambulances and disaster teams were called to the scene to help with rescue efforts shortly after the accident at 8:55 a.m. local time (03:25 GMT).

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed dismay and said the action was being taken on a “war footing.”

The deceased include the driver and assistant driver of the goods train, as well as the guard of the Kanchenjungha Express.

Jaya Varma Sinha, CEO of the Railway Board, told a press conference that the rescue operations have been completed.
She said the injured were being treated at a medical college in Siliguri City.

She stated that their priority is to ensure they receive the best possible medical care.

The officials said human error was likely the cause of the accident. Initial investigations suggest that the goods train driver ignored a signal.

She added that Kavach, the automatic train protection system developed by Indian Railways, should be planned and extended for West Bengal state.

A police official told reporters that the goods train’s engine was damaged, and three carriages of the express train derailed.

A rescue official informed the Times of India that they refrained from using gas cutters in the rescue operation to avoid endangering the lives of those trapped on the train.

He also mentioned that heavy rains in the area were hampering rescue efforts.

Federal Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said rescue teams carried out the rescue operation in close coordination with railway authorities.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the incident disheartening and said he had spoken to officials about the rescue operation.

“Condolences to those who lost their loved ones.” I pray that the injured recover at the earliest,” he wrote on X.

He stated compensation of 200,000 rupees ($2,394; £1,890) to the families of those killed and 50,000 rupees for each injured passenger.

Minister Vaishnaw then announced increased compensation of one million rupees for the dead, 250,000 rupees for the seriously injured, and 50,000 rupees for those slightly injured.

A year ago, a devastating train accident in the eastern state of Odisha killed about 290 people and injured more than 1,000.

After Monday’s accident, India’s opposition leaders criticised the government for “utter mismanagement” of the railways.

Congress party leader Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that Modi’s government was turning the railways into a platform for “self-promotion.”

Kunal Ghosh, a member of West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress Party (TMC), also blamed Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

“There is no safety for passengers, no improvement in technology, and a lack of maintenance of the services,” he said.