Picture by: Passang Yolmo
Nine dead, 41 injured in yet another train accident as a goods train collides with a passenger express in West Bengal.
Nine people were killed, and around 50 passengers were injured after a goods train collided with the Kanchanjunga Express, which was traveling to Kolkata from Silchar in Assam, in Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The goods train rammed the passenger express from behind near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was seen riding a motorbike to reach the accident site, while PM Modi has taken stock of the situation.
The impact of the collision derailed two coaches of the passenger train. The Kanchanjunga Express is a daily train connecting Bengal with the Northeastern cities of Silchar and Agartala. This route lies in the Chicken’s Neck corridor, which connects the Northeast with the rest of the country.
The location was so remote that the Railway minister had to visit on a bike.
“Shocked to learn, just now, about a tragic train accident in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district. While details are awaited, the Kanchanjunga 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 a war footing has been initiated,” Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a post on X.