Railways Starts Probe Over The Accident Of Kanchenjunga Express

Kolkata: Commissioner of Railway Safety board Janak Kumar Garg on Tuesday visited the rail accident spot at New Jalpaiguri and spoke with several railway workers.

Talking to the media, Garg said that the investigation has started.

“This afternoon only the investigation has started and the actual reason for the accident will be determined during the probe. Whether paper signal authority was given or what exactly happened will come out in due course of time,” said Garg.

At the Rangapani station the Commissioner of railway Safety board had spoken with several railway workers and the station master of the Rangapani station was also called.

Former railway worker DC Mitra said that the station master cannot ‘wipe off’ his responsibility and should take the ‘onus’.

Notably. With one more death the death toll had risen to 10.

Meanwhile, the passengers travelling in Kanchenjunga Express reached Sealdah Station in Kolkata in the wee hours of Tuesday.

The passengers were in a state of shock and said that they were ‘not believing’ that they had reached Kolkata alive.

“I have hurt myself badly and had a blackout for some time, when I woke up, I just could not believe that I was alive and now also can’t believe that I have reached Kolkata. It is an experience of a lifetime and the worst experience of life,” said the woman.

A man who suffered minor leg injury also mentioned that he just can’t imagine that he will reach home alive.

Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) Mayor Firhad Hakim who visited the Sealdah railway station to greet the passengers was seen giving packets of biscuits and water bottles to them.

“We all should get insurance before travelling by train. Such is the condition now. If ever we are travelling by train we ourselves don’t know whether we will return home alive,” slammed Hakim.

It can be recalled that following the train accident on Monday morning after a goods train collided with Kanchenjunga Express at New Jalpaiguri in North Bengal, politics started as oppositions demanded immediate resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

The railway minister visited the spot to take stock of the situation and also announced ex-gratia.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee before visiting North Bengal Medical college to meet the injured people also slammed the central government over the alleged ‘bad’ condition of railways and also due to the lack of anti-collision devices.

“When I was the rail minister I had found the anti-collision device. In the name of Vande Bharat the central government had not done anything to the railway department. The bedding offered and the food given in the train are also of low category. The railway department has become parentless,” Mamata was heard stating.

Published on: Wednesday, June 19, 2024, 05:27 AM IST