NINE DIE AS GOODS RAMS INTO PASSENGER TRAIN

The accident comes a year after the Coromandel Express tragedy in which over 290 people were killed

- Aritra Singha

System Failure

• Collision happened because goods train disregarded the railway signal

• Driver of goods train was authorised to cross all red signals as the automotive system was defective

• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the spot riding on a mobike

Nine passengers died and another 41 were injured after the rear coaches of a stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed after a goods train rammed into it from behind. The mishap, which took place at around 8:30 am near Rashidiya station at New Jalpaiguri district, brought back memories of the Coromandel triple train tragedy exactly a year ago in Odisha’s Balasore district. Some local reports put the casualty count at 15. Among the deceased were the pilot of the goods train and the guard of the passenger train.

The army rushed to the spot with cutters with which the derailed bogies were cut open to extricate the bodies and to look for survivors. The injured have been shifted to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.