Website Design: The Guwahati
Eight people have died and at least 60 others are injured in a train accident near New Jalpaiguri station in West Bengal at around 8 am on June 17.
The accident occurred when the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express hit a goods train this morning. The collision took place near Rangapani station. This location is about seven kilometers from New Jalpaiguri. Because of the collision, two rear compartments of the passenger train came off the tracks.
Some news reports say that the number of deaths might go up. Rescue workers are still trying to find more bodies in the wreckage.
PM Narendra Modi has announced that Rs. 2 lakh from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund (PMNRF) will be given to the families of each person who died in the accident and the injured will get Rs. 50,000.
Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw said, “Enhanced ex-gratia compensation will be provided to the victims; ₹10 Lakh in case of death, ₹2.5 Lakh towards grievous injuries, and ₹50,000 for minor injuries.”
Authorities are trying to find out what caused the accident. Rescue operations are still going on. This tragic event shows that there is a need for better safety measures on the railways to prevent such accidents in the future.
