Kolkata: Eight persons have died so far after the Agartala-Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express met with an accident on Monday morning in North Bengal after being hit by a goods train.
Driver of the goods train and guard of the passenger express are among the eight dead declared so far in the train accident in West Bengal's Siliguri district, officials confirmed.
Forty-one other passengers also sustained severe injuries after the Kanchanjungha Express travelling from Agartala to Sealdah in Kolkata was hit from behind by a goods train near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri around 8.30 am.
The guard of the passenger express has been identified as Ashish Dey, while the rest of the victimare yet to be named.
The collision happened soon after the Kanchanjunga Express started its journey from the New Jalpaiguri Station to Sealdah. It occurred some 11 km south of the New Jalpaiguri (NJP) junction, a senior police official said.
Among the dead is the pilot of the goods train who died after being sandwiched in the impact, he said.
The officer said three bogies of the passenger train jumped the rails and stuck above the engine of the goods train.
He said all the injured have been shifted to nearby hospitals.
The accident happened when the goods train on the same track hit the parked passenger train at Rangapani, a relatively small station.
Railways minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has expressed concern and directed the railway officials to rush at the spot and start rescue operation, said Darjeeling MP Raju Bista. He said an inquiry will decide how both trains landed on the same track.
The NDRF and DMG began rescue operations, the evacuation was, however, affected due to inclement weather. The rescuers were looking for any people stuck inside the mangled bogies. The first responders were locals though.
Senior railway officials already reached the spot along with medical teams for evacuation of the injured and the stranded passengers. Trains movement on the section was largely affected.
Expressing grief over the accident Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha wrote, "In a tragic incident, I learned that the Agartala-Sealdah bound Kanchanjungha Express met with an accident near New Jalpaiguri. Three coaches were particularly damaged in the collision with a freight train. Rescue operations have already started. I wish the injured in this accident a speedy recovery".
"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, medical assistance. Action on war-footing initiated," West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee said.
Special train from Sealdah to bring stranded passengers from accident site
Eastern Railway said an emergency passenger train from Sealdah will leave for the accident site at Rangapani in north Bengal to bring back stranded passengers, ER CPRO Kaushik Mitra said.
Besides the train, the North Bengal State Transport (NBST) would run 10 maxi buses to get back the stranded passengers.
Mitra, also confirmed that the scheduled Kanchenjunga Express tonight would leave as per timing.
A report from Malda said the north Bengal-bound Vande Bharat was stranded at Malda.
