60 killed in West Bengal train mishap

At least 50 people are feared dead and more casualties are expected after the stationary Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express was hit from behind by the speeding Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express at Sainthia station in India's eastern state of West Bengal early Monday

At least 60 people were killed and 150 injured after a speeding Sealdah-bound Uttar Banga Express rammed into three coaches of the stationary Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express at Sainthia station in West Bengal's Birbhum district, about 190 km from Kolkata, early Monday, railway authorities said.

The 60 victims include 57 passengers and three railway employees, an Eastern Railway release said here.

Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee confirmed the 49 deaths, expressed regret, saying she was "sorry to see two incidents (railway accidents) in West Bengal in two months."

Railways helpline

Railway authorities have opened several helpline numbers for news of the victims in Monday's train accident at Sainthia in India's eastern state of West Bengal. The Eastern Railway has opened two helplines (numbers 23503537 and 23503535) at Sealdah for news of the victims. The helpline numbers at Howrah station are 033 26382581/3532/7412./26411416, while that of Bhagalpur station is 06412422433 and the number at Jamalpur station is 0634443101

Eastern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Samir Goswami said the dead included 39 men, eight women and two children. The accident took place around 2.15 a.m., rudely jolting hundreds of sleeping passengers. Among the dead were the driver and assistant driver of the Uttar Banga Express and the guard of the Vananchal Express.

Chief Security Commissioner of Eastern Railway S. Sahoo told IANS: "We fear that more than 50 have died."

The accident occurred 52 days after the Gyaneshwari Express tragedy in which 148 people died as the Maoist guerillas cut open the pandrol clips ((used to fix the rail to the sleeper) near Jhargram in West Midnapore district. After the Mumbai-bound Gyaneshwari Express derailed May 28, a freight train approaching from the opposite direction rammed into five derailed coaches, resulting in the high casualties.

Bodies from the accident spot have been sent to the district hospital in Suri, the headquarters of Birbhum district, Sainthia Government Railway Police (GRP) sources said.

"About 150 of the injured have been shifted to hospitals in Suri and Sainthia," Additional Director General of Police (Railways) Dilip Mitra said.

Five medical teams and an accident relief team have reached the spot, authorities said. The site of the accident is 191 km from Howrah on the Bolpur-Rampurhat section of Eastern Railway's Howrah division.

An Eastern Railway spokesman said the Vananchal Express was at platform 4 when the Uttar Banga Express, coming from New Coochbehar, hit it. The engine of the speeding train ploughed through three coaches of the stationary express from the rear. All three coaches were badly mangled by the severity of the collision with one of the coaches shooting up from the tracks and careening into the footbridge abovc.

Local people were the first to rush in for the rescue as cries of the injured passengers, many of whom had lost their limbs, rent the air.

The authorities, facing allegations of a delayed start to the rescue efforts, were using gas-cutters to cut open the coaches and bring out the dead and rescue the injured.

"We have managed to extricate the bodies from two of the three compartments so far," Birbhum Police Superintendent Humayun Kabir told IANS.

"Many of the bodies have got pasted in the coaches. We are only managing to extricate body parts, rather than whole bodies," said a recue worker. "We were sleeping. Suddenly we were awakened by a loud sound. The train was dark. For a few minutes we were dumbfounded. Then I gathered my wits and came out of the train," said R. N. Ghosh, a passenger of Uttar Banga Express.

"The station was also dark. I saw people running in panic. Then I found that Uttarbanga has hit another train. Three of the rear bogies of this train (Vananchal) were devastated," he said. Eastern Railway General Manager V.N. Tripathy said an enquiry has been ordered into how both the trains came on to the same line.

Train movement on the down line has been disrupted in the Bolpur-Rampurhat section. The down Malda-Howrah Intercity Express were among several trains cancelled and many trains were stranded on the down line.

A railway official said other than the thee coaches that were hit, the remainder of the Vananchal Express was brought to Burdwan en route to Ranchi. The Uttar Banga Express has been brought to Rampurhat after replacing the damaged engine.u00a0

Compensation for victims
Rs 5 lakh will be paid to the kin of those killed in the train accident, union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee said Monday.

She said a job will also be provided to the kin of the dead.

Banerjee also announced compensation of Rs.1 lakh for the greviously injured and Rs.25,000 for those who sustained minor injuries.
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Past train accidents

January 2, 2010 Bhiwani-Gorakhpur Gorakhdham, Prayagraj Express collission Delhi-Sitamarhi Licchavi, Magadh Express collission Sarayu Express accident 10 killed, 39 injured November 14, 2009 Jodhpur-Delhi Mandore Express derailment 7 killed, 21 injured October 21, 2009 Mewar, Goa express collision 22 killed, 13 injured February 14, 2009 Coromandel Express derailment 15 dead, over 140 injured August 1, 2008 Gautami Express fire 32 dead, 40 injured August 7, 2007 Jodhpur-Howrah express derailmentu00a0 32 injured April 21, 2005 Sabarmati Express accident 17 killed, over 127 injured

Indian Railways - a factfile

Indian Railways runs the world's second largest railroad network under a single management: -The network comprises 64,015 route km with 6,906 railway stations -It runs 18,518 trains, of which over 11,000 are passenger trains - It ferries 19 million passengers every day - It carries 2.29 million tonnes of freight each day - It is the largest employer with 1.39 million people - It runs 125 hospitals across the country with 14,023 beds - It runs 316 schools -First train service was on April 16, 1853 when 400 guests in 14 carriages left Mumbai's Bori Bunder for Thane