Kanchanjunga Express accident: At least 9 dead, 41 injured in collision

At least nine people, including the train’s loco pilot, died and 41 were injured after a goods train ferrying containers rear-ended the Kanchanjunga Express near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal early on Monday.

The train, which was on its way from Agartala to Sealdah, was hit by the goods train from behind because the latter’s loco pilot “disregarded” the signal, according to the chairman and chief executive officer of the Railway Board, Jaya Varma Sinha.

The nine casualties include the loco pilot of the goods train, Anil Kumar, and the guard (stationed at rear coach) of the Kanchanjunga Express. The assistant loco pilot of the goods train is critically injured, and is receiving treatment as of Monday evening.

 

This is the fourth major rail accident in the past one year, including the triple train crash at Balasore, Odisha, in June 2023, claiming 293 lives.

The accident took place at around 8:50 am near Rangapani station in north Bengal. Nine of the 41 injuries are grievous while 32 are minor, the Ministry of Railways said.

The Kanchanjunga Express had two parcel vans in the rear with no passengers, which took the brunt of the impact of the collision. In the absence of these parcel vans, the accident would have been bigger, officials said.

“Enhanced ex-gratia compensation will be provided to the victims; Rs 10 lakh in the case of death, Rs 2.5 lakh towards grievous and Rs 50,000 for minor injuries,” Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who left for the site of accident on Monday morning, wrote on social media.

Shiva Gopal Mishra, general secretary of the All India Railwaymen’s Federation (AIRF), told Business Standard: “I have been informed that the loco pilot had been on continuous night duty for the past four days, and was supposed to be given time to rest, but had to be on duty. This should not have happened.”

“There were heavy rain and waterlogging in the area, which may have caused the automatic signalling to fail,” he added. 

A Railway Board spokesperson said the ministry would not be able to comment on the issue before a probe. 

Stakeholder groups have been asking the Railway Board to look into the concerns of overworked loco running staff. This paper had reported last year the board had individually called out zones where the duty time of the crew was overshooting regulations.

Moreover, railway unions have expressed their discontent with Sinha’s statement implying a possible human error.

“It is highly objectionable to announce the dear loco pilot responsible when he is dead and CRS (Commissioner of Railway Safety) inquiry is pending,” Sanjay Pandhi, the working president of the Indian Railway Loco Runningmen Organisation (IRLRO), reportedly said.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticised the central government for the accident. Speaking to media persons ahead of her visit to the accident site, she said: “A lot of big talk and beatification was happening, but passenger amenities were being compromised. The railways has become parentless. There is a ministry but no separate Budget. It has lost its glory.”

Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi, in a social media post, said: “The increase in railway accidents in the last 10 years is a direct result of the mismanagement and negligence of the Modi government, which results in loss of lives and property of passengers on a daily basis. Today’s accident is another example of this reality -- as a responsible opposition, we will continue to question this blatant negligence and hold the Modi government accountable for these accidents.”

(Inputs from Ishita Ayan Dutt)