The recent train crash took place between the Sealdah-bound 13174 Kanchenjunga Express and a goods train, taking the lives of nine people, including the driver of both coaches. The trains collided in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. Earlier, it was reported that 40 passengers were injured, but 60 people were hurt very badly.
The incident happened at Rangapani at 9 a.m. while the Kanchenjunga Express was travelling from Agartala to Sealdah in Kolkata. The goods coaches hit the passenger train from behind, near Rangapani Station. This station is seven kilometres from New Jalpaiguri. During the collision, around three coaches of Kanchenjunga Express were down the rail in the crash.
According to Railway Board chairperson Jaya Verma Sinha, the rescue operation has been done by the team of the National Disaster Response Force. All the injured passengers have been shifted to the North Bengal Medical College, and all the possible treatments have been taken to save the lives of every individual.
The Kanchenjunga Express is the daily railway connection between Bengal and the northeastern cities of Silchar and Agartala. Due to this incident, nearly 20 other trains have been halted. This results in more inconvenience to the public by impacting the movement of other trains.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has initiated an investigation into the reason behind the Monday morning accident in which a cargo train collided with the Kanchenjunga Express near Rangapani, West Bengal, according to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. According to Vaishnaw, measures will be taken to ensure that the events that caused the disaster do not happen again.
In addition to this, the Railway Ministry has announced to provide the kin of the victims with compensation of ₹ 10 lakh. Along with this, ₹ 2.5 lakh and ₹ 50,000 for the grievous injuries and minor injuries, respectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also shown his deep condolences to the families of the victims. “The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lose their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover as soon as possible. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well, he said”.’
The PMO has proclaimed to provide every deceased’s family with compensation of ₹ 2 lakh and ₹ 50,000 for injured passengers from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF).
President Droupadi Murmu said the news of the loss of lives due to the train accident in Darjeeling, West Bengal, is deeply distressing. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee, also expressed her condolences over the incident that took place this Monday. She posted, “I am shocked to learn about a tragic train accident in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district.
The opposition parties, however, claim that the primary cause of the increased number of train accidents is government negligence.
