Horrific Train Collision in Darjeeling: Passenger Bogie Blown 15 Meters

Horrific Train Accident in Darjeeling, June 16

Kolkata, June 17: Five Dead and 30 Injured in Kanchanjungha Express Accident

In a tragic incident on Monday, five people were killed and 30 injured when the Kanchanjungha Express derailed after being hit by a goods train between New Jalpaiguri and Rangapani stations. According to Abhishek Roy, Additional SP of Darjeeling District, the accident resulted in two compartments of the Kanchanjungha Express derailing.

Rescue operations, initiated by teams from the state government and Indian Railways, are underway despite being hampered by heavy rainfall in the region. Local residents are assisting the rescue efforts. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that senior railway officials are on-site to oversee the search and rescue operations. In his statement, Vaishnaw said, “Unfortunate accident in the NFR zone. Rescue operations are ongoing at a war footing. Railways, NDRF, and SDRF are working in close coordination. The injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached the site.”

‘A severe collision between the Kanchenjunga Express and a goods train in New Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, resulted in a passenger bogie being thrown 15 meters into the air, causing multiple casualties and injuries. Emergency services are on the scene as investigations begin’.

Rescue teams are manually repositioning the derailed compartments to locate any trapped passengers, avoiding the use of gas cutters to prevent further endangerment. “We fear more people might be trapped inside. Using gas cutters could risk their lives, so the process is slow. The rainfall is adding to the difficulty,” said an official from the state Disaster Management Department.

Witnesses reported seeing the bodies of at least five people being removed from the wreckage. So far, 25 injured passengers have been rescued and transported to the North Bengal Medical College & Hospital in Siliguri. Officials caution that the number of casualties may rise as the rescue operations continue and the full extent of the entrapment is determined.

The cause of the accident remains unknown. Passengers on the Kanchanjungha Express reported hearing multiple collisions, contradicting initial reports of a single impact. Railways Minister Vaishnaw is expected to visit the accident site to further assess the situation.