Rescue and relief work underway after the Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailed near Badabamboo in Seraikela-Kharsawan district of Jharkhand early on Tuesday (July 30) | PTI
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Two killed, 20 injured as 18 coaches of Howrah-Mumbai Mail derail in Jharkhand; deputy commissioner says it hit a stationary goods train and derailed
Two persons were killed and 20 injured as at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday.
The accident occurred at 3.45 am near Barabamboo, around 80 km from Jamshedpur, under the Chakradharpur Division of the South Eastern Railway (SER), officials said.
SER spokesperson Om Prakash Charan said that there was another derailment of a goods train nearby, but it was not yet clear whether the two accidents occurred concurrently.
However, West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary, who is camping at the accident site, claimed that the mail train hit the stationary goods train and derailed.
SER statement
"Two persons were killed and 20 injured as 18 coaches of Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed near Barabamboo," said Chaudhary.
The accident site is near the border between West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts.
"At least 18 coaches of the 22-coach 12810 Howrah-Mumbai Mail via Nagpur derailed near Barabamboo station in SER's Chakradharpur Division at 3.45 AM," the SER spokesperson said. Of these, 16 were passenger coaches, one power car and one pantry car, he said.
Rescue operations
"The injured passengers were provided medical aid in Barabamboo. They were taken to Chakradharpur for better treatment," another senior SER official said. The rescue operation is on, he said.
The train, which left Howrah on Monday night, met with the accident early this morning, the SER official said. The train accident was reported from Potobeda in the Kharsawan block of Seraikela-Kharsawan district, said an official of the local administration.
"The Howrah-Mumbai Mail and a freight train were involved in the accident. The assessment of injured people is underway," he added.
Mamata furious
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee slammed the central government over the series of train accidents and wondered whether there will be no end to Centre’s callousness.
In a social media post, Banerjee wondered whether this is governance as the train accidents have become a regular affair.
“Another disastrous rail accident! Howrah- Mumbai mail derails in Chakradharpur division in Jharkhand today early morning, multiple deaths and huge number of injuries are the tragic consequences,” she posted on X.
“I seriously ask: is this governance? This series of nightmares almost every week, this unending procession of deaths and injuries on railway tracks: for how long shall we tolerate this? Will there be no end to the callousness of Government of India?” she added.
Read updates here.
Live Updates
- 30 July 2024 3:27 AM GMT
South Eastern Railway cancels/diverts somes trains
The South Eastern Railway (SER) cancelled a few express and passenger trains on Tuesday owing to the accident, including 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabanji Ispat Express and 12021 Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express.
Some other trains were either short-terminated or diverted owing to the accident near Barabamboo station, an official said.
The SER opened helpline numbers after the derailment of the 18 coaches of the train.
The helpline numbers are 022-22694040 for Mumbai, 08799982712 for Bhusawal, 7757912790 for Nagpur, 0657-2290324 for Tata, 06587-238072 for Chakradharpur, 0661-2501072 and 0661-2500244 for Rourkela and 06645-272530 for Jharsuguda, the SER said in a statement.
Helpline numbers for Howrah are 9433357920 and 033-26382217, and for Shalimar are 7595074427 and 6295531471 and for Kharagpur is 03222-293764.
