The Kanchanjunga Express, involved in a fatal collision with a goods train near New Jalpaiguri in north Bengal resulting in nine deaths, arrived at Sealdah in Kolkata around 3:15 am on Tuesday.
One female passenger described the harrowing experience as a nightmare, stating, “It is the mercy of God that I am alive today and talking to you. I can’t narrate in words what we went through. There was a huge jerk and I fell from the upper-tier. It was a nightmare.”
Expressing newfound fear after the incident, a passenger from the B2 coach remarked, “I have to frequently travel in trains for my business in north Bengal. But now I am really scared. I think I got a fresh lease of life.”
The collision occurred at 8:55 am on Monday when a goods train collided with the rear of the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani, about 10 km south of New Jalpaiguri. The impact affected four coaches of the Kanchanjunga Express, including a general compartment, two parcel coaches, and the guard van. Additionally, five coaches of the goods train were derailed.
Despite the incident, the Kanchanjunga Express, with its remaining 19 coaches and 1,293 passengers, resumed its journey towards Kolkata at around noon on Monday. Railway officials confirmed that while service on the up line resumed promptly, the down line was cleared by 7:30 am on Tuesday.
Following the accident, several trains such as the Rajdhani Express and Vande Bharat Express had to be diverted through Bagdogra and Aluabari due to coaches strewn across the tracks at the accident site.
The death toll from the accident remained at nine, with authorities at the hospital working to ascertain the exact count. Six bodies have been identified and returned to their families, while identification efforts continue for the remaining three victims.
Regarding the cause of the accident, initial reports from Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Verma Sinha suggested that the goods train driver may have disregarded signals. However, railway officials indicated that a combination of a signalling fault before New Jalpaiguri station and possible human error by the freight train driver likely contributed to the tragic collision.