core sector communique

49 Dead and 89 Injured In Rear-End Collision Involving Vannanchal Express and Uttarbanga Express Trains in Birbhum District, West Bengal

Mamata Expresses Profound Grief Over the Loss of Innocent Lives in Train Accident 

Ex-Gratia of Rs. 5 Lakh to the Next Kin of the Dead Announced
  



(Updated till 11.30 a.m.)





In an unfortunate accident in the early hours today, 49 passengers lost their lives and 89 were injured when train no. 3148, Uttarbanga Express (New Cooch Behar-Sealdah) train collided from rear with train no. 3404 Vannanchal Express ( Bhagalpur-Ranchi) which was stationed at Platform No. 4 of Sainthia railway station in Howrah division of Eastern Railway, resulting in two last coaches of Vannanchal Express being badly damaged. The accident site falls under Birbhum District of West Bengal. The damaged coaches include one Guard-cum-luggage-cum-Passenger (SLR) coach and one unreserved general 2nd class coach. All the passengers in Uttarbanga Express are safe and all the passengers in the remaining coaches of Vannanchal Express are also safe. All the injured were immediately admitted in nearby hospitals. Rescue operation was in full swing since the occurrence of the accident and both the trains involved in the accident left for their destinations after detaching the two damaged coaches of Vannanchal Express train

The Minister of Railways, Mamata Banerjee who is on her way to the accident site, has termed the train accident as most unfortunate and expressed her profound grief over the loss of innocent lives. She has announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 5/- lakh to the next kin of the dead, Rs. 1/- lakh each to grievously injured passengers and Rs. 25,000 to those who sustained simple injuries. She has also announced jobs in the Railways to one person of the deceased’s family. The Railway Minister has given instructions to Railway officials for the speedy relief and rescue operation and effective medical treatment to the injured passengers.

Railway Board officials including, Chairman Railway Board, Shri Vivek Sahai, Member Electrical, Shri Sudesh Kumar, Director General Railway Health Services Dr. Ramteke and senior officials from Eastern Railways and Howrah Division have also reached the accident site to monitor and supervise the rescue and relief operation.

For the convenience of public, Helplines were set up at various railway stations including. Howrah, Sainthia , Sealdah, Burdhwan, Malda, Jamalpur, Dhanbad, Katihar, New Jalpaiguri, New Cooch Behar, Ranchi, Hatia and Bokharo Steel city.

Due to this accident following trains have been diverted/cancelled:

Diverted trains

1. 3161 Kolkata – Balurghat Express

2. 5661 Ranchi – Guwhati Express

3. 3150 Alipurdiwar – Sealdah Express

4. 2513 Secundrabad- Guwhati Express

Cancellation

1. 3048 Howrah – Amritsar Express

2. 215.216 Howrah – Ramprhar- Howrah Passenger

3. 217/218 Howrah –Rampurhat-Howrah Passenger



Train No. 3025 Howrah – Bhopal Express rescheduled. at 12550 hrs. instead of 1325 hrs.