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.
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:
Heading towards the accident site.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 13, 2022
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.
In an unfortunate accident, 12 Coaches of Bikaner – Guwahati Exp. derailed near New Maynaguri (West Bengal) this evening.
Personally monitoring the situation for swift rescue operations.— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 13, 2022
Spoke with Hon'ble PM and apprised him about the rescue operations.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) January 13, 2022
Spoke to Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw and took stock of the situation in the wake of the train accident in West Bengal. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May the injured recover quickly.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 13, 2022
Deeply concerned to hear about the tragic accident of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express in Maynaguri.
Senior Officers of the State Government, DM/SP/IG North Bengal are supervising rescue and relief operations. Those injured will receive medical attention, as early as possible.— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 13, 2022
Saddened to know about the loss of lives, when bogies of Bikaner-Guwahati Express got derailed in West Bengal. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May they remain strong to bear this loss. Prayers for speedy recovery of those injured.
— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) January 13, 2022
#Watch | Several compartments of the Guwahati-Bikaner Express derailed near West Bengal’s Domohani area on Thursday. No casualties have been reported so far. pic.twitter.com/VkaW5Jmnsa#TrainAccident
— 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐢𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐭𝐧𝐚 (@Khansiroffice) January 13, 2022
पश्चिम बंगाल के जलपाईगुड़ी में रेल हादसा
कानेर से गुवाहाटी जा रही ट्रेन पटरी से उतरी
गाड़ी के चार से पांच डिब्बे पटरी से उतरे #trainaccident#TRAIN #trainderail pic.twitter.com/lpEMF3bQKY
— Priya Pandey 🇮🇳 (@PriyaJournalist) January 13, 2022
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