Kanchanjungha Train Mishap: Casualties Increase to 11, Services 'Limp Back to Normalcy'

MP, 19 June 2024, Siliguri: The passing of a six-year-old girl on Tuesday morning raised the toll in the Kanchanjungha Express tragedy to 11, even as her parents remained admitted at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) battling for their lives. 

The victim, Sneha Mondal, was admitted to the hospital in a “critical condition” on Monday following the accident involving the Sealdah-bound Dn Kanchanjungha Express and a goods train which claimed at least 10 other lives. “

The girl suffered fractures in her legs and also had liver and sp
leen injuries. She succumbed while undergoing treatment,” Dr Sandip Sengupta, NBMCH’s dean of student affairs, stated. 

Shyamal Mondal, her uncle, arrived at the NBMCH on Tuesday, to receive her body. 

The doctor added: “Other injured patients are stable. Four surgeries have been conducted so far. Currently, 35 injured are undergoing treatment at the hospital. 

Out of the 35, three are at the Trauma Care Unit. Multidisciplinary board has been formed.” Meanwhile, the body of a woman has been identified as Beauti Begum. She was a resident of Itachanda Road in Burdwan. 

Another unidentified body of a man was later identified as Arjun Ram, from Gowalpukur. He was returning home from Silchar, Assam. Rajkumar Battabyal, a BSF personnel injured in the accident, was released from NBMCH on Tuesday. 

Incidentally, destiny played a cruel role for 31-year-old Subhajit Mali, a resident of Ballygunge who perished in the accident. 

At the request of his daughter, he boarded the Express train to reach home to celebrate her birthday. As fate would have it, this was the last ride he would ever take. He went to Guwahati for work and was set to return two days later, but his eight-year-old daughter kept coaxing him to be present at her birthday celebrations on Tuesday. 

On Monday, he had boarded the ill-fated train to be home in time. 

“He left behind his 1-year-old boy, 8-year-old daughter and wife. We are speechless. I have lost my brother,” said Surajit Mandal, brother of the deceased. His daughter is in a state of shock since she heard the news of his demise. 

Meanwhile, after news came in that, Chaitali Majumder, a resident of Lake Town, Siliguri, had filed a complaint, she claimed that she was not aware of any such complaint allegedly lodged by her against the loco pilot and co-pilot of the freight train that rammed into the Kanchanjungha Express. She alleged that the complaint was fabricated. 

“After the incident, Railway officials came to the hospital and asked me about the details of the incident. I just narrated what had happened on Monday. They asked for my name, address and took my signature on a paper where only my name and address were written but I didn’t know about the complaint. I suffered an injury to my leg. I was in a state of panic and trauma. How could I blame a person who had died?” said Chaitali. 

Claiming that services were restored, the Railways authorities stated: “The train services on both the up and down lines at Rangapani near the New Jalpaiguri station were fully restored on Tuesday afternoon.” 

Divisional Railway Manager of Katihar, S Kumar said: “Electrical traction was restored at the accident site and trains with electric locomotives have started plying on the stretch.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/big-stories/kanchanjungha-train-mishap-death-toll-rises-to-11-services-limp-back-to-normalcy-568528