In a deadly incident on Monday morning, at least 15 passengers lost their lives and 60 others sustained injuries when three rear coaches of the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed after a goods train collided with it in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district. The accident occurred near Rangapani station, approximately 30 km from North Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri station, officials reported.
- Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited the train accident site in Bengal’s Rangapani. Addressing the media, he said, “Commission of Railway Safety will conduct a thorough investigation. Rescue operation has concluded and now the focus is on restoration, this is the main line. We will identify the reason behind this accident and will take proper preventive measures for the future.”
VIDEO | Kanchanjunga Express accident: “Commission of Railway Safety will conduct a thorough investigation. Rescue operation has concluded and now the focus is on restoration, this is the main line. We will identify the reason behind this accident and will take proper preventive… pic.twitter.com/klenG4iqHS
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 17, 2024
- Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed her shock on X, saying, “Shocked to learn, just now, about a tragic train accident, in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district. While details are awaited, Kanchenjunga Express has reportedly been hit by a goods train. DM, SP, doctors, ambulances and disaster teams have been rushed to the site for rescue, recovery, and medical assistance. Action on war-footing initiated.”
Before leaving for Darjeeling, she told the media, “Our administration was alert even before the government of India received the information. I have also been monitoring the situation since 9 am. The entire administration, including the chief secretary, the DM and the police… We have sent ambulances and doctors for the rescue operation.”
VIDEO | Kanchanjunga Express accident: “Our administration was alert even before the government of India received the information. I have also been monitoring the situation since 9 am. The entire administration, including the chief secretary, the DM and the police… We have sent… pic.twitter.com/PfWFNJstvo
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) June 17, 2024 - Governor CV Ananda Bose has also left for Bagdogra from Kolkata airport. He will meet the injured of the Kanchenjunga Express train accident in Darjeeling district.
#WATCH | West Bengal Governor CV Ananda Bose leaves for Bagdogra from Kolkata airport.
He will meet the injured of the Kanchenjunga Express train accident in Darjeeling district. pic.twitter.com/NjCHI6nD1K
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
- Earlier in the day, Vaishnaw announced ex gratia compensation for the victims. “While Rs 10 lakh will be given to the next of kin of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh will be provided to the grievously injured and Rs 50,000 to those with minor injuries,” Vaishnaw posted on X.
- The toll is expected to rise as multiple agencies from the state and Centre, along with local residents, work tirelessly to rescue passengers who may still be trapped inside. Among the deceased are the pilot and co-pilot of the goods train, and the guard of the passenger train, a senior railway official confirmed. The injured have been transported to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences on X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, “The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. 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.”
- According to preliminary reports from railway officials, the passenger train was stationary when the goods train rammed into it from behind, PTI reported. The collision’s severe impact threw two rear compartments off the tracks and left another bogie precariously hanging mid-air with the engine of the goods train wedged underneath. Inclement weather in the region has added to the challenges of the rescue operations.
- Railway officials have confirmed that the Kanchanjunga Express resumed its journey to Kolkata with passengers in the unaffected coaches. “The train has started from the accident site around 12.40 pm and is expected to reach Sealdah at 8 pm,” said Kaushik Mitra, CPRO, Eastern Railway.
- The accident has disrupted long-distance train services from north Bengal and the northeastern part of the country. Eastern Railway officials in Kolkata announced route diversions for several trains, including the Guwahati-Saraighat Express, Guwahati-Bengaluru Express, NJP-Howrah Vande Bharat, Kamrup Express, and Uttarbanga Express. Additional bus services have been introduced on an emergency basis to assist affected commuters.
- Preliminary investigations suggest that the loco pilot of the goods train may have overshot a signal. However, no confirmation has been received regarding potential signalling system issues or how the two trains ended up on the same track.
- BJP MP from Darjeeling, Raju Bista, was among the leaders who rushed to the site to supervise rescue operations. A passenger from Agartala, who was in coach number S6 of the Kanchanjunga Express, recounted the ordeal: “I felt a sudden jerk and the compartment screeched to a halt. My wife, child and I somehow managed to come out of the mangled coach. We are currently stranded… The rescue operations also started quite late,” he told a television channel.
The accident evoked memories of the Coromandel Express disaster near Bahanaga Bazar in Odisha last year, which claimed nearly 300 lives and injured over 1,000 others. The 13174 Kanchanjunga Express was en route to Sealdah from Agartala when the mishap occurred around 9 am, the railway official said.
