Spine chilling photos of a derailed Guwahati-Bikaner Express have come to light on Thursday evening. At around 5 PM on 13th of January, the Guwahati-Bikaner Express derailed near the Maynaguri town of Jalpaiguri district in West Bengal. 9 deaths and 36 Injuries have been reported till now.

12 coaches of the express train derailed as it was heading towards Guwahati after a halt at the NJP Station.

Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has rushed to the accident site and is inspecting the situation personally.

Contents hide
1. Current Situation at the Debris
2. Tweet by Railway Minister:
3. What Exactly is the Reason Behind the Unfortunate Event?
4. Responses from the Authorities

Current Situation at the Debris

The rescue operation on the debris started right after the mishap in the evening of 13th of January. In the circulated pictures from the site, local residents and police can be seen coming together, initiating the relief work. Injured individuals were taken to the Jalpaiguri District Hospital and the Maynaguri Government Hospital. People in critical conditions have been shifted to the North Bengal Medical College Hospital in Siliguri.

All survivors in the Express train travelling from Bikaner to Guwahati were brought out of the coaches by midnight according to Guneet Kaur, Chief Public Relations Officer of the North East Frontier Railway. A Gas-cutter was used to cut open the railway bogies and almost 250 passengers have been rescued while almost 1000 people boarded the train.

Compensation has been announced as ₹ 5 lakh for death, ₹ 1 lakh for grievous injury, and ₹ 25,000 for minor injuries.

A high-level safety inquiry has been ordered to probe what led to the derailment. The Indian Railways has diverted nine trains due to the derailment and special trains and buses have been arranged for the remaining passengers.

 

 

 

Tweet by Railway Minister:

What Exactly is the Reason Behind the Unfortunate Event?

When the train departed from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) Station at 4.04 PM for Cooch Behar on Thursday, the Bikaner-Guwahati Express was running late. Just after the train passed through Domohani, a non-scheduled stop, at 4.53 pm, the mishap occurred at a block section between Domohani and Maynaguri around 5 pm.

Among the suspected reasons by the railway experts, track expansion and contraction during winter is assumed to be one major reason behind the derailment. Maximum vigil has been suggested as mandatory during this season. Questions are also being raised as to why was a long-distance train, covering 2,314 km, still running with old ICF coaches made in Perambur Chennai? Lack of inspection here is a major concern for experts.

The witnesses have confirmed that the train was not over-speeding before the accident. However, The Loco Pilot’s account becomes important in deciding the key factor behind this terrible accident.

Responses from the Authorities

Eastern Railways has issued emergency numbers for Rajasthan (01512725942), Assam (0361-2731621, 2731622, 2731623) and West Bengal (8134054999).

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has rushed to the location along with Railway board chairman V K Tripathi and the director general. The Prime Minister along with the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Rajasthan have expressed their concerns over the Situation.

Union Minister is expected to reach the location by Thursday night or Friday morning.

The Prime Minister along with the Chief Ministers of West Bengal and Rajasthan have expressed their concerns over the Situation.

 

 

 

 

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