Just In : 15 Killed As Freight Train Collides With Passenger Train
Al Jazeera reports that the catastrophic accident took place in the Darjeeling district when a freight train collided with the Kanchanjunga Express passenger train.
A devastating train collision occurred in India’s West Bengal state on Monday, resulting in the loss of at least 15 lives and injuring dozens more.
Al Jazeera reports that the catastrophic accident took place in the Darjeeling district when a freight train collided with the Kanchanjunga Express passenger train.
Preliminary investigations point to human error as the likely cause. This tragic incident highlights the ongoing safety concerns plaguing India’s rail network, which witnesses hundreds of accidents annually.
Rescue efforts continue in Darjeeling, West Bengal, where a tragic train collision has claimed at least 15 lives, according to Abhishek Roy, a senior police official. The death toll may rise as crews work to clear debris from the mangled carriages.
Nearly 30 people have been injured, and a team of police, national disaster response forces, doctors, and local residents are collaborating to search for survivors.
Sabyasachi De, spokesperson for the Northeast Frontier Railway, confirmed that three of the fatalities were railway staff members.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has deployed emergency responders, including doctors, ambulances, and disaster teams, to the site of the train crash near New Jalpaiguri station.
She described the efforts as “action on war-footing” and characterized the incident as “tragic”. While she did not initially confirm the number of casualties, her swift response indicates the severity of the situation.
Dramatic TV footage showed the aftermath of the train collision, with one train’s compartment thrust into the air and another train’s rear end crumpled from the impact.
A large crowd gathered at the scene as rescue teams scrambled to search for survivors.
According to Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the injured are receiving medical attention at nearby hospitals. The accident occurred when the freight train’s driver ignored a signal and collided with the rear of the express train, causing four compartments to derail, including one passenger coach and three cargo cars, as reported by Jaya Varma Sinha, head of the railway board, and Sabyasachi De, railway spokesperson.
