Eight dead, over 80 injured after goods train rams into Kanchanjunga Express near Darjeeling

GUWAHATI, June 17: At least eight people, including a locomotive driver, were killed and 80 more injured – some of them seriously – after a goods train overshooting signal rammed into the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express near Rangapani station, about 7 kms from New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal.

The accident took place around 8:37 am with the goods train smashing into the Kanchanjungha Express from behind.

“The situation is serious. The accident occurred when a goods train rammed into Kanchenjunga Express,” Abhishek Roy, Additional SP of Darjeeling Police, said.

Tangled wreckage of carriages, one thrust high into the air precariously balanced on another, was pictured at the site of the accident as rescue teams, including NDRF and SDRF personnel, brought out injured passengers from mangled coaches and rushed them to nearby hospitals.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his grief over the unfortunate accident. “The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well,” Prime Minister Modi wrote on social media platform X.

An ex-gratia payment of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) will be provided to the families of each deceased while Rs 50,000 will be granted to each injured person.