Punjab Newsline, New Delhi, June 17-
At least 15 passengers died and 60 others were injured after three rear coaches of the stationary Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express derailed on June 17 morning as a goods train collided with it in West Bengal’s Darjeeling district. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will visit the train accident site in New Jalpaiguri to take stock of relief operations.
The three rear compartments derailed under the impact of the collision from behind by the locomotive of the goods train near Rangapani station, about 30 kilometres from North Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri station. The toll could rise, as multiple agencies of the State and Centre were simultaneously working on a war footing along with locals to rescue passengers who could still be trapped inside. The deceased include the pilot and co-pilot of the goods train, a senior railway official said.
According to another railway official, when the automatic signalling system fails, the station master issues a written authority called TA 912, which authorises the driver to cross all red signals in the section because of the defect.