In a tragic incident in India’s eastern state of West Bengal, a goods train collided with a passenger express on Monday, resulting in at least 15 fatalities and injuring 25 more, according to officials.
The accident occurred in the Darjeeling district when the goods train rear-ended the stationary Kanchanjunga Express, which was en route to Kolkata from Agartala in the northeast.
The impact caused three carriages of the passenger train to derail. Senior police official Abhishek Roy reported that at least 15 bodies had been retrieved from the wrecked carriages, including the train’s driver and guard.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the collision was likely due to human error, with the train driver allegedly ignoring a stop signal.
Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairperson and CEO of the Indian Railway Board, suggested that initial findings point to signal disregard as the cause.
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her shock over the accident, stating that state authorities have launched emergency measures.
She shared her sentiments on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the urgency of the situation and the deployment of doctors, ambulances, and disaster teams to the site for rescue and medical assistance.
Early images and videos from the scene reveal a chaotic pile-up of train compartments, with one carriage nearly vertical.
Rescue workers and local residents are seen as actively involved in the rescue efforts. Authorities fear that more people may be trapped inside the damaged compartments, but further details are not yet available.
Local witnesses reported hearing a loud noise and seeing the aftermath of the collision.
India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and announced compensation of £1890 for the families of the deceased and £472 for the injured.
