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Goods Train Hits Kanchenjungha Express in Darjeeling. 15 Dead

  • By Thetripurapost Desk, Darjiling
  • Jun 17, 2024
  • 216

A freight train hit the Kanchenjungha Express (13174) from behind at 8:55 am on Monday in Darjeeling, West Bengal. News agency PTI has reported that 15 people died and 60 were injured in the accident.

Railway Board Chairman and CEO Jai Verma has confirmed that 5 people have died and 25 people have been injured. Meanwhile, Eastern Railway CPRO Kaushik Mitra quoted the North-East Frontier Railway as saying that 8 people have died, including 2 loco pilots and a guard.

According to the Chairman of the Railway Board, the loco pilot of the goods train overshot the signal. Due to which it collided with the Kanjanjunga Express. The guard's coach and the general coach have been damaged in this accident. The Army and NDRF teams have completed the rescue work. The work of restoration of the rail route has started.

Kaushik Mitra said that there were two parcel and one SLR coaches at the end of the Kanchenjunga Express train. There were no passengers in it. 5 coaches of the train have been damaged. A special train has left for Sealdah at 12:40. Most of the passengers in the train are from Malda and Bolpur. Train service has been started on single line.

Kanchenjunga Express (13174) left Agartala on 16 June at 8:15 am. It was to reach Sealdah on 17 June at 7:20 pm. The accident happened at Rangapani near New Jalpaiguri station. The train was stopped here at Ruidhasa due to red signal. During this time, a goods train coming from behind hit it.

The collision was so strong that one coach of the express train got suspended in the air on the engine of the goods train. The other two coaches got derailed. NDRF, SDRF, railway and Bengal officials are engaged in the rescue operation.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh to those who lost their lives in the accident, Rs 2.50 lakh to the seriously injured and Rs 50,000 to the minor injured. Apart from this, Rs 2 lakh each from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund has been announced for those killed in the accident and Rs 50,000 to the injured.


CPRO of North-East Frontier Railway, Sabyasachi Dey said- The track on which the accident happened will be made operational by night. Down Kanchenjunga Express will also run at night. 19 trains have been diverted due to the accident