50 dead in West Bengal train derails

News Desk :
More than 50 passengers are feared dead when the Guwahati-Bikaner Express train derailed at Jalpaiguri district in the Indian state of West Bengal, confirmed the country’s media.
The accident took place at Domohani area in Jalpaiguri at around 5 pm local time on Thursday (January 13).
West Bengal’s Bengali daily Anandabazar reports that the Guwahati-bound train from Patna derailed at 5 pm on Thursday. Upon receiving the news, the members of the rescue team from Alipurduar reached the spot and started the rescue operation. The “death toll is expected to rise” as several bogies of the train were twisted.
It was reported that the speed of the train was 40 kmph at the time of the accident, reports agency.
Nilanjan Dev, public relations officer for India’s Northeast Frontier Railway zone, said the Guwahati-Bikaner Express derailed around 5 pm on Thursday. The accident took place at New Maynaguri and New Domohani sections of the Alipurduar division.
Anandabazar says rescue work has started at the site of the train accident. Many people were “trapped” when several bogies of the train overturned in the accident. Rescue workers, as well as locals, are trying to rescue the passengers trapped under the train. Authorities are already liaising with all the hospitals in the area and other hospitals in the area to ensure the speedy treatment of the injured.
Meanwhile, Jalpaiguri Deputy Commissioner Moumita Godara Basu said “three bodies have been recovered so far”.
“We have found three bodies. Rescue work is underway. The accident took place at the entrance of Maynaguri station. We are carrying out rescue work by providing lighting,” Moumita Godara Basu said.
She added that 10 to 12 injured people were immediately rescued and sent to Jalpaiguri Sadar Hospital.
A railways spokesperson said the accident took place at 5pm, nearly seven minutes after the express train passed the New Domohani station. “12 coaches jumped off the tracks of which two capsized,” Guneet Kaur, chief public relation officer of Northeast Frontier Railway said, reports Hindustan Times.
Railway officials, who rushed to the spot from different locations, said it was getting dark by the time the initial team of rescue workers reached the site.
The Jalpaiguri district magistrate said they were getting generators to light up the area. “All departments have been alerted. Rescue staff are being rushed from all locations,” Basu said.
In New Delhi, the railways ordered a high-level inquiry into the accident by the railway safety commissioner.
Photographs and videos that appeared on local media channels showed two coaches lying on the ground and three more off the tracks. One of the coaches appeared to be badly damaged.
“There were not too many passengers in the train because of the Covid pandemic (restrictions),” Dilip Kumar Singh, divisional railway manager of the Alipuarduar section of the North East Frontier Railway, told reporters.
“Several teams are rushing to the spot. I am on my way. This is a case of derailment. Our men are making efforts to rescue the injured. We have no exact figure on casualties,” said Singh.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted that senior officers of the state government were supervising the rescue and relief operations. “Deeply concerned to hear about the tragic accident of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express in Maynaguri,” she said on Twitter, adding that the injured will receive medical attention, as early as possible.
West Bengal government officials said Mamata Banerjee was at the meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi via video conference on the covid-19 pandemmic when she was informed about the train accident.
The chief minister instructed all senior police and health department officials to arrange for rescue and treatment of the passengers,” an official said.