On Monday, a freight train plowed into the rear of a parked passenger train in India’s West Bengal state, killing at least 15 people and injuring 44 more. The train catastrophe occurred barely over a year after a signalling malfunction triggered one of India’s biggest rail accidents.
A senior police official told Reuters that fifteen dead bodies had been retrieved from the damaged carriages.
Fifty-four people were critically hurt, and rescue teams from the police and national disaster response agency were clearing debris from the derailed carriages, according to a senior police official.
The freight train collided with the Kanchanjunga Express passenger train, which was traveling from the northeastern state of Tripura to Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, and drove three cars off the tracks. It was unclear how many passengers were on board at the time.
Passenger Train driver killed
Rescuers used iron rods and ropes to release one carriage of the passenger train, which had been swept upwards and lodged on the roof of the freight train as a result of the collision.
The fatalities included the freight train driver and a guard on the passenger train, according to Jaya Varma Sinha, the head of the railway authority that oversees the country’s network. The collision occurred after the freight train driver ignored a signal, Sinha explained.
The rescue work has been done, according to Sinha, and authorities are trying to restore traffic, with the damage being less severe than originally anticipated.
“The guard’s compartment in the passenger train was badly damaged,” she stated. “There were two parcel vans attached ahead of it which reduced the extent of damage to passengers.”
Several nearby people reported hearing a loud crash and saw the pile-up while investigating, according to the ANI news agency, in which Reuters owns a minority investment.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed condolences for the loss of life and stated that Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw was on his way to the spot. A signal failure triggered the biggest rail catastrophe in India in more than two decades, killing around 288 people in the neighboring state of Odisha a year ago.
Train Crashes in India
Rail accidents in India are a big concern, resulting in fatalities, injuries, and service disruptions. Despite advances in technology and safety precautions, these catastrophes continue to occur at an alarming rate.
Causes include human mistake, signal failures, derailments, and collisions. Poor track maintenance and aging infrastructure exacerbate the problem. Weather circumstances such as heavy rain and fog also play a role in many cases.
The repercussions are serious, affecting thousands of people every year. The government and railway officials face ongoing pressure to tighten safety protocols and upgrade systems.
Efforts include the installation of updated signaling equipment, regular track inspections, and improved crew training. While these initiatives show some promise, much more work is needed to safeguard the safety of the millions of people who rely on India’s train system on a daily basis.
Public awareness initiatives and stricter enforcement of safety standards are also important. The goal is not only to minimize the number of accidents, but to make train travel safer and more reliable for everyone.
Source: ANI News