"Excise officer from Gorubathan among the 18 loses life in fatal train accident

Agencies, 17 June 2024 : Caleb Subba, a resident of Gorubathan in the district of Kalimpong, and Officer in Charge of the Malda Excise Department, as well as a former SI of Malda police, was among the victims of today's train accident. The 37-year-old Subba was returning from his hometown Gorubathan to his duty station in Malda.

The fatal collision between the Sealdah-bound 13174 Kanchanjungha Express and a goods train resulted in the loss of at least 18 passengers while 60 others were injured. Three rear coaches of the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed on June 17 morning as a goods train collided with it in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the train accident site in New Jalpaiguri to take stock of relief operations. The three rear compartments derailed under the impact of the collision from behind by the locomotive of the goods train near Rangapani station, about 30 kilometres from North Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri station. 

The ill-fated train commenced its journey from Agartala at 8 am on June 16 and departed from Guwahati station at approximately 11 pm on the same day.

The location of the accident was reported to be around 10-12 km away from the New Jalpaiguri railway station 

Courtesy & Source: Lakpa Yolmo Lama FB

The automatic signalling system between Ranipatra Railway Station and Chattar Hat Junction in West Bengal, where a goods train hit Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express in the rear, was defective since 5.50 in the morning, according to a railway source cited by news agency PTI.

"Train No 13174 (Sealdah Kanchanjunga Express) departed Rangapani station at 8:27 am and stopped between Ranipatra railway station and Chattar Hat due to automatic signalling failure from 5:50 am," the source told PTI.

According to another railway official, when the automatic signalling system fails, the station master issues a written authority called TA 912, which authorises the driver to cross all red signals in the section because of the defect.

The toll could rise, as multiple agencies of the State and Centre were simultaneously working on a war footing along with locals to rescue passengers who could still be trapped inside. The deceased include the pilot and co-pilot of the goods train, a senior railway official said.

About 60 persons are said to be injured and are getting treatment in local hospitals. The guard of the passenger train is also among the dead. 

Though the express train was packed with passengers, many of whom were likely tourists visiting the hill station, the officials noted that a lower death count was expected as two of the three derailed compartments carried goods in them.

The train accident was the result of a minor human error as the driver of the passenger train overhot the signal, said Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO Railway Board.

"Driver and assistant driver of the goods train and guard of Kanchenjunga Express train have died in the incident," said Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman & CEO Railway Board. Three railway employees, including Asish Dey, the guard of the Kanchanjunga Express, Anil Kumar, the loco pilot of a goods train, and Munna Kumar, the assistant loco pilot of the goods train, lost their lives. They were among the eight individuals who perished in the unfortunate accident.

“Prima facie suggests human error as the cause. The first indications suggest that this is a case of signal disregard. Kavach needs to proliferated, planned for West Bengal," Sinha added.

The tragic collision of the Kanchanjunga Express train with a goods train in West Bengal on Monday took place because the loco pilot of the goods train, who is among the deceased persons, “disregarded the signal”, Jaya Varma Sinha, the chairman and CEO of Railway Board, said.

The Kanchanjunga Express was struck from behind by the locomotive of the goods train, derailing its three rear coaches. As many as 15 people died in the collision after a Kolkata-bound goods train rammed the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Jalpaiguri railway station in Darjeeling district at 9 am today. 

Most of the passengers are safe. Helpline booths are open everywhere. Our NDRF team and ambulances are at the spot. Deaths of two people have been confirmed so far," said CPRO Eastern Railway Kaushik Mitra. 

Prime MInister Narendra Modi has announced na ex-gratia amount of ₹2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the railway accident in Bengal. Whereas, the injured passenger will receive ₹50,000.

The Railways has announced a compensation Rs 1 million for the kin of the deceased, Rs 250,000 for those who suffered grievous injuries, and Rs 50,000 for the victims with minor injuries.

The news of the loss of lives due to a train accident in Darjeeling, West Bengal is deeply distressing. My thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured and success of relief and rescue operations," read a post by President of India.

West Bengal Darjeeling MP Raju Bista visited the train accident site in Ruidhasa and said, "The train coaches which were in good condition have been sent to Sealdah by attaching an engine to them. Our priority is to clear the track. NDRF and SDRF present at the spot."

The Kanchanjungha express train runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdeah in Kolkata. The train derailed when a goods train hit it from behind near Rangapani station, located close to New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal.

Sabyasachi De, the Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of NF Railway, stated that the 19 coaches of Kanchanjanga Express that were not impacted by the incident have already departed for Maldah, carrying approximately 1300 passengers.