In a devastating accident this morning in India’s state West Bengal, at least five passengers have died and 25 others have been injured after the Kanchanjungha Express collided with a goods train in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. The collision occurred near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri, as the Kanchanjungha Express was traveling from Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata.
The impact caused two coaches of the Kanchanjungha Express to derail. Emergency services, including doctors, ambulances, and disaster response teams, have been dispatched to the scene. Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her shock on social media, stating, “Shocked to learn, just now, about a tragic train accident in Phansidewa area of Darjeeling district. While details are awaited, Kanchenjunga Express has reportedly been hit by a goods train. DM, SP, doctors, ambulances, and disaster teams have been rushed to the site for rescue, recovery, and medical assistance. Action on a war footing initiated.”
The Kanchanjungha Express is a daily service connecting Bengal with Northeastern cities like Silchar and Agartala, frequently used by tourists heading to Darjeeling. The accident’s location in the Chicken’s Neck corridor could impact the movement of several other trains.
Preliminary information indicates that the goods train overshot a signal, leading to the collision. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and additional ambulances are on-site. Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is monitoring the situation from the Railways war room in Delhi, confirming that rescue operations are underway on a war footing. “Unfortunate accident in NFR zone.
Rescue operations going on at war footing. Railways, NDRF, and SDRF are working in close coordination. Injured are being shifted to the hospital. Senior officials have reached the site,” he stated.
For those seeking information about the situation, the Railways have released helpline numbers: 033-23508794 and 033-23833326 (Sealdah) and 03612731621, 03612731622, and 03612731623 (Guwahati).
