Jabalpur:

Two coaches of the Indore-Jabalpur Express train derailed on Saturday morning when it was approaching the Jabalpur station in Madhya Pradesh, railway officials said. No passenger was injured in the derailment that occurred around 5.40 am, they said.

Restoration work is underway and a committee has been formed to probe the incident, according to them.

#WATCH | Two coaches of Indore- Jabalpur Overnight Express derailed in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh. No casualties/injuries reported.

More details awaited pic.twitter.com/A8y0nqoD0r

— ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2024

Jabalpur station falls under the West Central Railway (WCR) zone.

“Two coaches of the Indore-Jabalpur Superfast Express (22191) derailed when the train was approaching platform number 6 of the Jabalpur station,” an official said.

The derailed coaches were positioned just behind the engine, he said, adding that the derailment took place around 50 metres away from the platform.

Talking to PTI, Madhur Verma, senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) of WCR’s Jabalpur Rail Division, “The train’s scheduled arrival time is 5.35 am. The derailment occurred at 5.38 am when the train was about to enter the Jabalpur station. The loco pilot immediately stopped the train and saved other coaches from getting dragged.” “Two coaches adjoining the engine got derailed, but fortunately, no passenger was injured in the incident,” he said.

The passengers got off the train and traffic on the adjoining tracks was stopped for around half an hour, Verma said.

“A multi-departmental inquiry committee has been constituted to carry out a probe,” he said.

There was no major impact on the railway traffic as only platform number six of the station was closed for operations, he said.

Harshit Shrivastava, chief public relations officer of the West Central Railway said, “The train was running at the dead-stop speed of 5 kmph when the incident occurred.” The cause behind the derailment will be known after a probe, he said, adding that railway traffic on the route was normal and efforts to re-rail the derailed coaches were on. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Etawah:

A 35-year-old CRPF jawan was killed after being hit by a goods train in Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah, a police official said on Saturday.

The incident happened around 7 pm on Friday, when Jabar Singh of Ali Khurd village was returning home from his farm, Barthana Station House Officer Devendra Singh said.

According to police, Mr Singh worked in the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and had come home on leave.

His body has been sent for postmortem, they added.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Two people died and 20 others were injured after about 18 coaches of a train bound for Mumbai derailed in Jharkhand early this morning.

The Howara-CSMT Express derailed near Badabamboo, around 80 km from Jamshedpur at around 3.45 am. Rescue teams were rushed to the site immediately after the derailment was notified and a rescue and relief operation is on, officials said. 

 “Two people were killed and 20 injured as 18 coaches of Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed near Barabamboo. Rescue operations are on and an NDRF team is rushing to the spot,” West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary, who is camping at the accident site, told PTI.

Senior Railways official Om Prakash Charan said that a goods train had also derailed nearby, but it was not yet clear whether the two accidents occurred concurrently.

Of the 18 coaches that derailed, 16 were passenger coaches, one power car and one pantry car, he said.

The injured were given first aid by the Railways’ medical team, officials said, adding that they have now been taken to Chakradharpur for better treatment.

The exact reason for the derailment is being ascertained, they said.

Officials said several trains on the route have been cancelled or diverted after the mishap.

Buses have been arranged for the affected passengers and the Indian Railways has also issued helpline numbers. 

Tatanagar: 06572290324

Chakradharpur: 06587 238072

Rourkela: 06612501072, 06612500244

Howrah: 9433357920, 03326382217

Ranchi: 0651-27-87115

Mumbai: 022-22694040

Amreli:

Two lions were severely injured after being hit by a passenger train in Gujarat, a distressing incident highlighting the dangers faced by wildlife near railway tracks. The incident took place between Hathigadh-Bhesan near Liliya in Amreli district.

The incident occurred during heavy rainfall when a passenger train collided with a nine-year-old lion, causing significant injuries. The train, Mahuva Surat Passenger, stopped for an hour following the collision.

The Forest Department swiftly responded to the scene, already in a state of alert due to frequent wildlife accidents along this stretch. The injured lion, critically wounded by the impact, was transferred to the care of wildlife specialists for treatment.

The train also hit and injured another lion later, sparking outrage among lion conservationists and locals, who have long advocated for measures to safeguard the region’s wildlife from such accidents.

Authorities are now under pressure to review and enhance safety measures along railway tracks passing through wildlife habitats, particularly during adverse weather conditions when visibility is impaired. The Forest Department has assured the public that both injured lions are receiving intensive medical care and monitoring their recovery closely.

New Delhi:

The Bengal train accident that took place this morning, heralded the return of a wrathful Opposition, fresh from its massively improved performance in the recently concluded general election. From former railway ministers Lalu Yadav and Mamata Banerjee to various leaders in the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s NCP, social media platforms have been full of angry accusations, demanding that the government take responsibility for the deaths of nine people and injuries to 50 others. Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tried to stem the tide, saying this is “not the time for politics”.

Three coaches of Kolkata-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed early this morning when a goods train slammed it from behind near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri. The casualties would have been higher had the parcel coach and the guard’s coach not been at the rear.

In the afternoon, Mr Vaishnaw reached the spot. “Rescue operation is over, our focus in now on restoration. This is not the time for politics,” he said, responding to questions on Opposition criticism.  

“This government is only interested in elections.. How to go for hacking… how to go for manipulation… They do not take care of amenities… bathrooms are dirty and there are dirty things in bedding… They do not take care of the railway staff,” said Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee shortly after.

Ms Banerjee handled the railway portfolio from 2009 to 2011 during the second term of the Manmohan Singh-led UPA government. She had also held the ministry for less than two years in the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

The first off the block, though, was Rashtriya Janata Dal patriarch Lalu Yadav, who handled the railway portfolio during the first term of the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh. “Who is responsible for the continuous railway accidents in the country?”  read his post on X, formerly Twitter.

The Congress attack was spearheaded by party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who accused the BJP-led government of indulging in “utter mismanagement of the Railway Ministry”.

“As a responsible Opposition, it is our bounden duty to underline how the Modi Govt has systematically converted the Rail Ministry into a platform of ‘Camera-driven’ self-promotion! Today’s tragedy is yet another reminder of this stark reality,” he said.

Congress’s Rahul Gandhi underscored the point, saying, “As a responsible Opposition, we will keep raising questions on this scary negligence and make the government accountable.”

“The safety and travel of passengers in Indian Railways is now becoming a matter of concern,” read a rough translation of a Hindi post from Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

“The railway accidents that have happened in the last 10 years are the result of the central government’s negligence and mismanagement. We will continue to raise our voice against this,” senior Congress leader Deepender Hooda told reporters.

The official handle of the Congress responded with a list of the major train accidents over the last decade, with a break-up of the number of people killed and injured in each.

मोदी सरकार में हुए बड़े रेल हादसे

26 मई, 2014
गोरखधाम एक्सप्रेस
25 लोगों की मौत
50 से ज्यादा घायल

20 नवंबर, 2016
इंदौर-पटना एक्सप्रेस
150 लोगों की मौत
150 से ज्यादा लोग घायल

23 अगस्त, 2017
कैफियत एक्सप्रेस
70 लोग घायल

18 अगस्त, 2017
पुरी-हरिद्वार उत्कल एक्सप्रेस
23 लोगों…

— Congress (@INCIndia) June 17, 2024

Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party pointed out that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, then Union railway minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, had resigned taking responsibility for the Gasal train accident in 1999.

“But Ashwini Vaishnav in the Modi government, who had two major train accidents during his tenure, never once accepted the responsibility for the train accident… Railway account is only to promote Modi government by setting up selfie booth, not for safety of railway passengers,” the party posted on X.

Kolkata:

Kanchanjunga Express accident: The good train that hit a Kolkata-bound express train this morning in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district had overshot the signal, officials said. At least eight died and two dozen passengers suffered injuries after the express train traveling from Silchar, Assam to Sealdah, Kolkata was rammed by the goods train near Rangapani station, close to New Jalpaiguri. The last three coaches of the express train were derailed and many more were affected, it is learnt.

Kanchanjunga Express is frequently used by tourists to travel to the popular hill station of Darjeeling. The route crosses the narrow strip of land called Chicken’s Corridor, which links the Northeast with the rest of the country.

The route is an automatic signal section and remains extremely busy with parallel lines, which means there are higher chances of other trains being around.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said the injured were being shifted to a hospital.

“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 site,” he posted.

A war room has been set up in Delhi to coordinate rescue measures.

Disaster response teams and medical staff have been rushed to the site, said an online post by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“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, medical assistance. Action on war-footing initiated,” she posted on X.

The passenger train had two parcel vans and a guard coach in the rear, which is believed to have significantly reduced the impact of collision.

The Railways has been upgrading all trains with the new LHB coaches, but the Kanchanjunga Express has been running with old coaches made by Integral Coach Factory.

Helpline numbers released by the Railways: 033-23508794 and 033-23833326 (Sealdah) and 03612731621, 03612731622 and 03612731623 at Guwahati.

Raipur:

Two passengers and a sanitation staffer were injured after the head of a big drilling machine crashed into a moving train on the outskirts of Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur on Sunday, officials said.

The incident took place around 10 am when the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai)-bound Shalimar-LTT Express was passing through Urkura railway station ahead of the Raipur station, a railway public relations official (PRO) here said.

The railway has ordered a senior administrative grade (SAG) level inquiry into the incident.

Earlier, officials had said that a pole located near the tracks fell on the train. The piece of metal was later found to be a “drill machine reamer” which looks like a pole, the official said.

As the train reached Raipur station, rail personnel, including doctors rushed to the affected coach and administered first aid to the injured passengers, the official said.

Injured passenger Devari Dhivar (30) and sanitation staffer (from on-board housekeeping service) Narayan Chandra Bag (30) were then admitted to a private hospital here. The second injured passenger, Somil Mandal (12), was administered first-aid at the station, he said.

Mandal, who was travelling from Kharagpur to Mumbai, was later sent to his destination along with his family on another train, he said.

After learning about the incident, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Raipur division Sanjeev Kumar and other senior officials reached Raipur station to assess the incident, he said.

The DRM also visited the hospital, spoke to the family of the injured and instructed railway personnel to ensure the best possible medical assistance to the victims.

Assistant Commercial Manager Avinash Kumar Anand handed over a cheque of Rs 50,000 as ex gratia to Dhivar, he said.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has registered a case in connection with the incident, he said.

As initially thought, the metal was not a pole, the PRO said, citing the investigation.

“Rather, it was a reamer of a horizontal directional drilling (HDD) machine engaged in drilling work by the state-run Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL),” he said.

The electricity company’s contractor was conducting drilling operations beneath the tracks without informing the railways. The machine’s reamer was being pulled out when the train was passing through Urkura. But it unexpectedly came out of the ground and hit the train, he said.

The reamer scraped three AC coaches (B4, B5 and B6) damaging window pans, and injuring three persons besides causing scratches on the bogies.

CSPDCL officials were called to the accident site where they admitted that the contractor had ignored safety standards while doing the work, the PRO said.

The railways has ordered a senior administrative grade level probe into the incident and action will be taken against those found guilty, he said, adding that the train left for its destination around noon

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)