In West Bengal’s Darjeeling district this morning, a Kolkata-bound Kanchanjunga express train was struck by a goods train that had overshot the signal, according to officials. The accident occurred near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri, resulting in the deaths of at least 8 people and injuries to two dozen passengers. The express train, traveling from Silchar, Assam, to Sealdah, Kolkata, had its last three coaches derailed, and several others were also affected by the collision.
#WATCH | West Bengal | Wagon of Kanchenjunga Express train suspended in the air after a goods train rammed into it at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station under Siliguri subdivision in Darjeeling district today; rescue operation underway pic.twitter.com/rYnEfC3vic
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
The Kanchanjunga Express is a popular choice among tourists traveling to the hill station of Darjeeling. The train route passes through the Chicken’s Corridor, a narrow strip of land that connects the Northeast region with the rest of the country.
The route is equipped with automatic signaling and is highly congested with parallel lines, increasing the likelihood of other trains being in the vicinity. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is already en route to Darjeeling.
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A war room has also been set up in Delhi to coordinate rescue measures. Disaster response teams and medical staff have been rushed to the site, as stated in an online post by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
The passenger train had two parcel vans and a guard coach at the rear, which is believed to have significantly reduced the impact of the collision. The Railways has been upgrading all trains with new LHB coaches, but the Kanchanjunga Express has been running with old coaches manufactured by Integral Coach Factory.
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