Guwahati, 17 June: Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has officially confirmed that eight persons died and 25 were injured in the Kanchenjunga Express accident. NFR has decided to run a total of 24 trains on changed routes.
NFR Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De informed that 43174 Down Agartala-Sealdah Kanchenjunga Express, which left Agartala on June 16, was hit from behind by a goods train carrying containers between Rangapani and Chattarhat stations under Katihar Division of NFR today. The incident is about 10 km from New Jalpaiguri station. The incident occurred at around 08.55 am today.
He has said that on receiving the information, the accident relief team along with the medical team, employees and machinery immediately left for the spot. Senior officials from New Jalpaiguri and Katihar also reached the site of the accident. General Manager of NFR Chetan Kumar Srivastava also left for the site of the accident by train from Maligaon along with other senior officials. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has already left for the site of the accident from Delhi.
As a result of the accident, 4 coaches from the rear side of Kanchenjunga Express and five wagons of containers carrying train derailed, disrupting the movement of trains on both up and down lines.
The unaffected part of Kanchenjunga Express has already left the site of the accident for its onward journey. All the passengers of Kanchenjunga Express were provided with food packets and water bottles. Indian Railways has already announced an ex-gratia of ?10 lakh to the next of kin of each deceased, ?2.5 lakh to the seriously injured and ?50,000 to the minor injured.
Helpline numbers have been issued and broadcast at all important stations on the route of the train.
Also, trains have been diverted via New Jalpaiguri, Siliguri Junction, Bagdogra and Aluabari Road. The diverted trains are:
1. 19602 New Jalpaiguri – Udaipur City Weekly Express of 17.06.24.
2. 20503 Dibrugarh – New Delhi Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24.
3. 12423 Dibrugarh – New Delhi Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24.
4. 01666 Agartala – Rani Kamlapati Special Train of 16.06.24.
5. 12377 Sealdah- New Alipurduar Padatik Express of 16.06.24.
6. 06105 Nagercoil Junction- Dibrugarh Special of 14.06.24.
7. 20506 New Delhi- Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24.
8. 12424 New Delhi- Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express of 16.06.24.
9. 22301 Howrah- New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat Express of 17.06.24.
10. 12346 Guwahati- Howrah Saraighat Express of 17.06.24.
11. 12505 Kamakhya- Anand Vihar Northeast Express of 17.06.24.
12. 12510 Guwahati- Bengaluru Express of 17.06.24.
13. 22302 New Jalpaiguri- Howrah Vande Bharat Express of 17.06.24.
14. 15620 Kamakhya- Gaya Express of 17.06.24.
15. 15962 Dibrugarh- Howrah Kamrup Express of 17.06.24.
16. 15636 Guwahati- Okha Express of 17.06.24.
17. 15930 New Tinsukia- Tambaram Express of 17.06.24.
18. 13148 Bamanhat- Sealdah Uttar Banga Express of 17.06.24.
19. 22504 Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Express of 17.06.24.
20. 13142 New Alipurduar- Sealdah Teesta Torsha Express of 17.06.24.
21. 12344 Haldibari- Sealdah Darjeeling Mail of 17.06.24.
22. 12378 New Alipurduar- Sealdah Padatik Express of 17.06.24.
23. 15651 Guwahati- Jammu Tawi Lohit Express of 17.06.24.
24. 15658 Kamakhya- Delhi Brahmaputra Mail of 17.06.24.
