In a piece of breaking news, today in Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express derailed after a deadly collision with a goods train. The goods train hit the passenger train from behind. According to the latest updates, the derailed two bogies have been lifted up and thrown off the tracks.
The accident has reported 8 deaths and 20-25 injuries as per the statement by Abhishek Roy, Additional SP of Darjeeling Police.
The Kanchenjunga Express is a daily train that connects Bengal with the Northeastern cities of Silchar and Agartala. This route is in the Chicken’s Neck corridor, which connects the Northeast with the rest of the country. The accident on this line can potentially impact the movement of several other trains.
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Update 18: 43: Kanchenjunga Express train accident: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says “I started so many things, but they are only doing publicity of Vande Bharat trains. Where is Duronto Express? After the Rajdhani Express, Duronto was the fastest train.
#WATCH | Kanchenjunga Express train accident: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says “I started so many things, but they are only doing publicity of Vande Bharat trains. Where is Duronto Express? After the Rajdhani Express, Duronto was the fastest train…Today, the entire Railway… pic.twitter.com/nxI0kFCedY
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
Update 17: 20: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav meets persons who were injured in the rail accident at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
Update 17:05: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visits the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in the Darjeeling district, and says “Right now our focus is on restoration. This is the main line. The rescue operation has been completed. This is not the time for politics. I will also meet the injured…”
#WATCH | West Bengal: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visits the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Darjeeling district
He says, “Right now our focus is on restoration. This is the main line. The rescue operation has been completed. This is not the time for politics.… pic.twitter.com/we5bx2WDgS
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
Update 16: 20: Kanchanjunga Express accident: “On behalf of Congress, I would like to express my grief over the death of 15 people who were killed in a train accident in Jalpaiguri. In the last 10 years, there has been an increase in rail accidents, and this is a result of the mismanagement of the Centre. Today’s incident is an example of this. As a responsible opposition, we will raise questions over this in the Parliament,” says Congress leader Deepender Singh Hooda
Update 16: 15 : West Bengal: Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to shortly visit the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Darjeeling district.
Update 16:00: On the Kanchenjunga Express train accident, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, “…They (Railway Ministry) don’t care about passenger amenities. They don’t even care about railway officials, railway engineers, railway technical staff, and workers.
#WATCH | On Kanchenjunga Express train accident, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee says, “…They (Railway Ministry) don’t care about passenger amenities. They don’t even care about railway officials, railway engineers, railway technical staff and workers. They are also in trouble.… pic.twitter.com/o3wKH4BRgK
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
Update 15:16 pm: Home Minister Amit Shah, posts on ‘X’, expressing grief over the accident.
“Very tragic, wish for speedy recovery of injured”: Amit Shah on Kanchanjungha Express train accident
Read @ANI Story | https://t.co/6DCmkzIFlz#AmitShah #KanchanjunghaExpress #trainaccident pic.twitter.com/GmMMLZBTth
— ANI Digital (@ani_digital) June 17, 2024
Update 15:10 pm: Assam CM Himanta Biswa sarma spoke to the Railway Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnav and assured his officials are in constant touch with Railway Authorities.
I have spoken to Hon’ble Union Railway Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji on the recent tragedy and we remain concerned about passengers from Assam.
My officials are in constant touch with Railway authorities pic.twitter.com/PlGnaOucHk— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) June 17, 2024
Update 15:07 pm: Rahul Gandhi expresses grief over the accident and attacks the centre over mishandling of Indian Railways
पश्चिम बंगाल में कंचनजंगा एक्सप्रेस के दुर्घटनाग्रस्त होने से कई लोगों की मृत्यु का समाचार अत्यंत दुखद है।
सभी शोकाकुल परिजनों को मैं अपनी गहरी संवेदनाएं व्यक्त करता हूं और घायलों के शीघ्र से शीघ्र स्वस्थ होने की आशा करता हूं। सरकार को सभी पीड़ितों या उनके परिवारों को तुरंत पूरा…
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) June 17, 2024
Update 14:37 pm: The crash has led to the cancellation of 19 trains. ANI, releases the list of the train.
19 trains cancelled after the Kanchenjunga Express train met with an accident in the Phansidewa area of the Darjeeling district, West Bengal
8 people died and around 25 got injured in the accident. pic.twitter.com/Uu9DAEI1jI
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
Update 14:14 pm: Centre again increases the death compensation from 2.5 Lakhs to 10 Lakhs.
Update 13:32 pm: Centre has increased the Compensation pay. Now the kins of dead will receive 2.5 Lakhs, while the injured one will receive 15,000, says Ashwini Vaishnav.
Update 13:31 pm: Death Toll Rises. 15 people are reportedly dead while 60 are injured.
Update 12:55 pm: According to the CRB, As of now total 8 ppl have died, 5 ppl and 3 railway staff have died in accident. Loco pilot and assistant poco pilot of goods train also died in accident.
Update 12:50 pm: Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge took to ‘X’ to express his distress over the accident.
Extremely distressed by the Kanchenjunga Express train collision accident in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, where many people have lost their lives and several have been injured.
The scenes of the accident are painful. Our heart goes out to the families of the victims. In this hour…
— Mallikarjun Kharge (@kharge) June 17, 2024
Update 12:40 pm: CM Mamata Banerjee going to the spot. Mamata Banerjee will be leaving by special flight. Darjeeling MP Raju Bista at the accident site to oversee the rescue and relief efforts.
Update 12:33 pm: Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari demands resignation of Railway Minister
Update 12:28 pm: Darjeeling MP Raju Bista reaches to the accident site.
Update 12: 23 pm: “We have information about 8 deaths in this accident,” says Northeast Frontier Railway CPRO Sabyasachi De.
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“We have information about 8 deaths in this accident,” says Northeast Frontier Railway CPRO Sabyasachi De. https://t.co/Qki0Pv3D06
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
Update 12: 20 pm: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw shares an update on the tragic incident.
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.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 17, 2024
Update 12: 10 pm: PM Modi condoles on the tragic accident
The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected.
The railway accident in West Bengal is saddening. Condolences to those who lost their loved ones. I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 17, 2024
Update 11:30 AM:
The Kerala Congress has blasted Railway Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Calling out a high number of accidents in the minister’s previous tenure, the Kerala Congress threw jibe at Vaishnaw for neither taking responsibility of the accidents nor resigning. Meanwhile, in the post, the Kerala Congress unit also have example of NDA alliance partner Nitish Kumar, when he resigned of his post in 1999 train mishap.
The nation knows that the Reel Minister @AshwiniVaishnaw will neither resign nor respond to calls for accountability. While ND Alliance’s major partner @NitishKumar had once resigned over a mishap, Vaishnaw was rewarded for the record number of accidents during his previous tenure. pic.twitter.com/6XeeBz2p3w
— Congress Kerala (@INCKerala) June 17, 2024
Update 10:57 AM:
Sealdah Eastern Railway sets up a control desk at Rangapani station after the Kanchenjunga Express train rammed by a goods train at Ruidhasa in Darjeeling district
West Bengal | Sealdah Eastern Railway sets up a control desk at Rangapani station after the Kanchenjunga Express train rammed by a goods train at Ruidhasa in Darjeeling district pic.twitter.com/KLOY7Jn8rB
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
Update 10:50 AM:
Railway minister, Ashwini Vaishnavi expresses condolences on ‘X’
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.
— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) June 17, 2024
Update 09:48 AM:
CM Mamta Banerjee reacts on ‘X’..
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,…
— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) June 17, 2024
Update 09:30 AM:
Rescue team is on action mode.
#WATCH | Goods train rams into Kanchenjunga Express train in Darjeeling district in West Bengal, several feared injured
Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/8rPyHxccN0
— ANI (@ANI) June 17, 2024
This is a breaking news, details are still awaited.
