A tragic train collision in Bengal has claimed the lives of eight individuals, including three railway staff members and seven passengers. The incident occurred when a goods train rear-ended the Silchar-Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express at 8:55 am today, leading to a catastrophic derailment.
According to railway officials, the goods train allegedly jumped a signal and collided with the passenger train on the same track near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri. The impact of the collision caused three coaches of the express train to derail, with one coach mounting the locomotive of the goods train. The collision resulted in the deaths of the locomotive pilot of the goods train, the guard of the express train, and seven passengers. Nearly 50 others were injured and have been transported to the North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri for treatment.
The casualty count could have been significantly higher had it not been for the last two coaches of the express train being the guard coach and the cargo van, which minimized the impact on passengers. The rescue operation, which involved four coaches of the Kanchanjunga Express and the engine and five containers of the goods train, is now complete. At least ten trains have been diverted due to the accident.
Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha emphasized the priority of providing the best possible medical aid to the injured. She announced the establishment of helpdesks and helpline numbers for the families of the victims and confirmed that an inquiry will be conducted to investigate the cause of the accident. Sinha acknowledged that the Kavach anti-collision system had not been implemented on the route used by the train but mentioned plans to install it on the Delhi-Guwahati route, which would cover some sections in Bengal and Assam.
Kavach, an anti-collision system developed by the Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), aims to achieve “zero accidents” by using high-frequency radio communication to continuously update train movements and prevent collisions. The system automatically activates the brakes if it detects an impending accident. Despite its high safety certification, the system is currently installed on only 1,500 km of tracks, with plans to extend it to 3,000 km this year. India’s railway network spans over 1 lakh km.
The absence of the Kavach system was also highlighted after the devastating triple train collision in Odisha’s Balasore in June last year, which resulted in 293 deaths and over 1,200 injuries. The implementation of this technology is seen as crucial for enhancing railway safety across the country.
Sources By Agencies
