A tragic train accident in West Bengal’s Siliguri region resulted in the death of at least eight people and left around 30 others injured after a goods train collided with the Kolkata-bound Kanchanjunga Express on Monday morning. The collision caused two rear compartments of the express train to derail.
The accident occurred near Rangapani station, approximately seven kilometers from North Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri station, shortly after the express train departed the station. According to Abhishek Roy, Additional Superintendent of Police, Darjeeling, the situation is serious as rescue operations are actively underway. Injured passengers are being transported to nearby hospitals for urgent medical care.
The 13174 Kanchanjunga Express was traveling from Agartala to Sealdah when it was hit from behind by the goods train around 9 am. The impact caused significant damage, leading to the derailment of the rear compartments. As of the latest updates, five bodies and 29 injured individuals have been admitted to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
In response to the incident, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her shock and concern, stating that senior administrative staff, doctors, ambulances, and disaster teams have been dispatched to the site. Banerjee assured that rescue and recovery operations are being conducted on a war footing.
The Indian Railways has set up two helpline numbers—03323508794 and 03323833326—to assist the relatives of passengers aboard the Kanchanjunga Express. Additionally, a control desk has been established at Rangapani station to manage the situation.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that senior officials are present at the accident site, overseeing the rescue operations. In a statement on social media, Vaishnaw emphasized that efforts are being made in close coordination with the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to ensure the swift transportation of the injured to medical facilities.
President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended their condolences to the families of the deceased and wished for the speedy recovery of the injured. The Prime Minister announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for those injured.
Eyewitness accounts from passengers describe a sudden and violent impact, followed by a chaotic scene as they struggled to escape the mangled compartments. Some passengers reported delays in the initiation of rescue operations.
