Death Toll Rise Up 9 And Several Injured In Kanchanjunga Express Accident

Several trains were cancelled or diverted after a goods train collided with the Kanchanjunga Express in Siliguri, Bengal, on Monday, killing nine people and injuring many others.

Kanchanjunga Express Reaches Sealdah

After undergoing restoration work, the Kanchanjunga Express reached its destination at Kolkata's Sealdah station at 3:16 am on Tuesday. The mangled remains of the train are still at the crash site, where repair work continues.

Collision Cause and Updates

The Railway Board initially stated that the goods train driver had overshot a signal, causing the collision. However, internal documents revealed that the automatic signalling system on the stretch where the accident occurred had not been functioning since Monday morning, and the driver had been authorized to cross red signals.

Latest Developments

- **Emotional Arrival**: Passengers who survived the collision were seen breaking down upon arriving at Sealdah. Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim consoled a distraught passenger and interacted with others.

- **Train Services Resume**: Services resumed in the Phansidewa area of Darjeeling, where the accident occurred. A Kamakhya Express train was seen passing on an adjacent line.

- **Restoration Work**: Subhendu Kumar Choudhary, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Katihar Northeast Frontier Railway, stated that restoration work has been ongoing since the accident and is expected to be completed soon.

Political Reactions

Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who visited the injured at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri, criticized the central government for neglecting the Railways and focusing on Vande Bharat trains. She mentioned implementing an anti-collision device during her tenure as Railways Minister after witnessing major accidents.

Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar dismissed Banerjee's claims, stating that the incident was not an occasion for political commentary and calling her claims about the anti-collision device "ridiculous.

Assistance and Investigation

Deepak Nigam, Divisional Railway Manager of Sealdah, said that doctors and Railway Protection Force teams were stationed at Sealdah to assist passengers, with ambulances and medical booths on standby.

Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha confirmed that the collision occurred because the goods train driver overshot the signal, damaging primarily the guard's coach and two parcel vans of the Kanchanjunga Express, thereby protecting passenger coaches.

Contrarily, sources informed India Today that the goods train driver had received written authority from the Ranipatra station master to cross all red signals between Ranipatra station and Chattar Hat Junction due to the non-functioning automatic signalling system.

Official Response and Financial Aid

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who visited the accident site, stated that the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) had begun investigating the accident's cause. The Congress party has called for Vaishnaw's resignation, citing "mismanagement" within the ministry.

Financial aid of Rs 2 lakh from the Prime Minister's Relief Fund has been announced for the families of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured. Additionally, Vaishnaw announced Rs 10 lakh for the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh for those seriously injured, and Rs 50,000 for those with minor injuries.