The death toll in the Bikaner-Guwahati express train accident in the Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal has risen to nine, with 36 others injured, some in critical condition.

A railway spokesman in Guwahati said 12 cars of a train bound for Assam derailed near Domohani near the Alipurduar sector of the North East Frontier Railway (NFR) around 5pm on Thursday, some of which overturned .

Union Minister John Barra said the rescue operation was over and the injured were being treated in different hospitals. “Passengers were taken to Guwahati by special train,” Barra was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Earlier, Jalpaiguri magistrate Moumita Godara Basu found four bodies at the scene of the accident, while three others died in hospital.

“The toll may go up as some of the injured are in critical condition. We are now using cranes to remove the damaged carriages,” she said on Thursday, adding that rescuers thoroughly searched each coach in darkness and thick fog of survivors and bodies. The wounded are being treated at hospitals in Maynaguri and Jalpaiguri.

“We sent generators to light up the accident scene. All departments have been alerted,” Basu said.

The railway safety commissioner will investigate the cause of the accident, an official said in New Delhi. In a statement in Guwahati, the NFR said the rescue operation was complete. There were 1,053 passengers on the train at the time of the derailment, it said, adding that drinking water and snacks were provided for those stranded.

The ill-fated train was 2 hours and 41 minutes late for its three-day trip. It departed from Bikaner late on Wednesday night and was supposed to arrive in Guwahati early on Friday.

A train carrying stranded passengers to Guwahati left the scene of the accident at 9.30pm.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the tragedy as they held an online meeting with other CMs to review the country Covid situation.

Complete News Source : Hindustan Times