9 including loco pilot dead in collision; PM announces compensation for victims

The train was travelling from Agartala to Sealdah when the accident occurred around 9 am.

Kolkata, 17 June, 2024- Nine people were killed and at least 60 injured when the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express collided with a goods train near New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal. The collision occurred near Rangapani station, approximately seven kilometers from New Jalpaiguri, causing two rear compartments to derail. On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) for the next of kin of each deceased in the railway mishap. The injured will receive Rs. 50,000. President Droupadi Murmu extended her condolences and prayers to the bereaved families and wished the injured a swift recovery.

Meanwhile, West Bengal’s Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, expressed her shock over the incident on Monday. In a post on X, she wrote, “I am shocked to learn about a tragic train accident in Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district,” and mentioned that further details are awaited. Emergency response teams, including doctors and disaster units, have been dispatched to the site.

It has been raining heavily since morning in Siliguri, impacting the rescue operation. The train was travelling from Agartala to Sealdah when the accident occurred around 9 am. As a result, long-distance train services have been temporarily stopped.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday targeted the Centre over the Kanchenjunga Express train accident and claimed the Railways has compromised with passenger safety by not implementing anti-collision device or Kavach.

Reacting to the accident that claimed 9 lives, Banerjee, former Railways minister, said Railways over the years have become “parentless”.

“Accidents can happen. It’s a fact but where was the anti-collision device, which I had implemented when I was the Railway Minister. They call it by some different name today (Kavach). But my priority is to provide rakshakavach (protective shield) to passengers. This is not a criticism. But it is a fact that there is no focus on passenger amenities,” Banerjee said before leaving for the accident site.

“Today Railway budget is not held separately. The department is not what it used to be. There is a Ministry but it has lost its shine. Railways has become totally parentless. We can notice the grand inaugurations and beautifications like fashion shows but passengers and railway staff are not taken care of,” said the Chief Minister.

“They (Railway Ministry) don’t care about passenger amenities anymore. They don’t even care about railway officials, railway engineers, railway technical staff and workers. They are also in trouble. Their old-age pension has been withdrawn. I am completely with the railway employees and railway officials. They are trying their best. But this government only cares about the election. How to go for hacking, how to go for manipulation, how to go for rig the election. I think they should give more time for the governance, not for utterance,” added Banerjee.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw took stock of the situation at the Kanchanjunga Express accident site in West Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri on Monday.

Vaishnaw rode pillion on a motorbike for some distance to the accident site as the road was narrow for bigger vehicles to move, news agency reported.