Johnson Chettri and Kisan Chettri narrowly escaped, but two other passengers are missing following a high-speed collision between a goods train and the Kanchanjunga Express on Monday morning in Darjeeling district. The incident resulted in approximately nine fatalities.

Kisan, from Shillong in Meghalaya, was en route to Sealdah in pursuit of employment.

Local residents were quick to respond, rushing to the scene and initiating rescue operations, while the injured were transported to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for treatment.

Sharing his firsthand experience of the accident, Kisan recalled, “At approximately 8:30 AM, I heard a loud bang and felt a sudden jolt. I was engrossed in playing games on my mobile. Soon after, our coach began to tumble, and chaos ensued inside.”

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“Fortunately, I escaped without any injuries, but I lost all my bags and belongings. There were about 20 passengers in our coach. While most are safe, two fellow passengers are missing. Despite searching around, we couldn’t locate them,” he recounted.

At approximately 8:55 am, a speeding goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express from behind. Four compartments of the passenger train, including the guard’s compartment, two parcel vans, and a general compartment, sustained significant damage.

Johnson, who hails from Meghalaya, recounted, “It felt like a nightmare. I was disoriented for a few minutes. It was only when my fellow passengers pulled me that I regained consciousness and understood the situation.”

“I was on the phone when everything shook… I lost track of what happened next. Immediately, I called my parents to assure them that I was safe,” he said.

Abinash Mukherjee from Barasat, West Bengal, had boarded the train at Agartala to journey back home.

Also Read: Goods Train That Hit Kanchanjunga Express Had Overshot Signal: Officials