Brahmaputra Mail accident with Jharkhand goods train

Four dead in Jharkhand goods train accident

Four people were dead and 14 people injured when the Brahmaputra Mail collide with a stationary goods train at Karanpurato station of Jharkhand's Sahibganj district Wednesday morning.

"Four people have been killed in the accident. Fourteen were injured, two critically," Deputy Commissioner of Police Arun Kumar Singh of the district, 500 km from here, told IANS over phone.

"A sleeper coach of the Brahmaputra Mail got derailed. Rescue operation is on," he added.

A railway official said: "The goods train was standing as it's engine developed a snag. The passenger train hit it." The incident took place at 5.50 a.m.

The Brahmaputra Mail was going to New Delhi from Dibrugarh. A relief train has reached the spot.

7 Elephants Killed by Goods Train Accident in West Bengal

Seven elephants mowed down by goods train in Jailpaiguri, West Bengal.

Train Accident News Updates! In a tragic accident, seven elephants were killed when a goods train hit a herd of about 15 as it was crossing railway tracks in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district.

Five elephants died on the spot, two later. The incident took place at around 11 pm on Wednesday night. The elephants were crossing from the Moraghat to the Reti Bandapani forest via an often used corridor when the train rammed into them.

"One of the elephants got stuck in the cow catcher in front of the train and it was dragged by more than 200 metres along the railway track and I've been told that many of the fishplates and couplings of the track got severely damaged. So you can imagine what was the impact," said AK Raha the Principal conservator of forests, West Bengal.

Among the dead were three female elephants, one male, one juvenile and two calves.

The Forest Department has filed an FIR against the railways alleging the train was running at about 70 km per hour. But the Railways refuse to take the blame.

"We told them two days ago there was a big elephant herd roaming about in the area but they did nothing about it. They should have realized the elephants may come this way," said Sachidanand Singh the District Railways Manager of Alipurduar Northeast Frontier Railways.

Such accidents have been spiraling in the area since 2003 when rail tracks were upgraded from meter gauge to broad gauge and more goods trains diverted on this route. Though, the Forest department wants a speed limit of 20 to 40 km per hour for trains but that hasn't happened.

"We have been told by the DRM in the past that we cannot do it on our own. The instruction for speed limit should come from the Railways board. These are policy decisions. Unless they receive the orders, they cannot do it," added A K Raha.

With no solution available for the problem, elephant herds roaming the area remain vulnerable.

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Train accident in Madhya Pradesh

Train accident in Madhya Pradesh: 15 dead, 40 injured.

At least 15 people are feared dead and 40 others are injured after the Gwalior Intercity Express was hit by a goods train at Badarwaas in Shivpuri, Madhya Pradesh. The number of dead could rise.

A rescue team has been sent to the spot, Rajkumar Pathak, District Magistrate of Shivpuri said. Pathak said four bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of the last three coaches of the passenger train. Three more bodies were being extricated using cutters. He said at least 18 people had been injured and had been shifted out for medical treatment.

The passenger train, from Indore to Gwalior, was reportedly stationary at the station when the goods train hit it from behind. Three coaches of the Intercity Express piled up on top of each other with the impact.

The accident happened at 5 am today. Visibility in the area is very low as it is raining heavily. Rescue operations have also been delayed as roads in the area are in poor condition and the nearest hospital is 55 km away.

Early reports said it appeared to be a case of negligence as the two trains were on the same track. An investigation will reveal whether there was a signal failure.

No top administrative officers have reached the spot yet. Badarwaas is a small station with very few resources for rescue operations but the people of the town have reacted fast, reaching the spot soon after the accident.

A passenger, Rajesh Mangal, called NDTV in Gwalior to inform about the collision and said the situation was grim. He said local doctors had reached the spot.

The Gwalior Intercity was at the station when the goods train collided with it. I was in the train. Two coaches were badly damaged...It was too dark, rescue efforts were delayed. Local people helped," Mangal said.

PTI adds: Relief trains from neighbouring Guna and Bina towns have been rushed to the spot. Senior Railway Board officials have also rushed to the site of the accident.

Helpline numbers:

Badarwaas: 07495245233/9752417560

Guna: 07542253799/07542254778

Shivpuri: 07492234407/9752417562

Despite precautions being taken, there has been a spate in train accidents over the last few months:

17 August 2010 - Four people were killed in a train accident in Faizabad

19 July 2010 - 63 dead, more than 165 injured in Sainthia in West Bengal

18 June 2010 - At least 27 persons were injured, two of them critically, when the Amaravati Express derailed near Koppal after ramming into a road-roller