Casualties feared as two trains collide in West Bengal

KOLKATA: Around 50 people reportedly died in a train collision at Sainthia station in India's eastern state of West Bengal early Monday. The tragedy occurred when the stationary Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express was hit from behind by the Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express.

Sources said the guard of the Vananchal Express and the driver of the Uttarbanga Express have both died.

The accident occurred 191 km from Howrah on the Bolpur-Rampurhat section of Eastern Railway's Howrah division at around 2.15 a.m.

An Eastern Railway spokesman said the Vananchal Express was standing at platform 4 when the speeding Uttarbanga Express coming from New Cooch Behar hit it from the rear. Three rear coaches of the Vananchal Express bore the brunt of the collision.

A luggage van and a general compartment of the Vananchal Express were among the affected, the spokesman said.

"There will be a high-level enquiry into how the two trains came on the same down line at the station," the spokesman said.

Train movement on the down line has been disrupted in the Bolpur-Rampurhat section.

Eye-witnesses said the Vananchal Express was about to leave the station when the accident occurred.

Rescue operation has started.

Sainthia Government Railway Police (GRP) sources said the injured passengers were being sent to hospitals in Sainthia and Birbhum district headquarters Suri.

Eastern Railway General Manager V.N. Tripathy has left for the spot in a special train. An accident relief train and a medical relief train have also reached Sainthia. Rescue operation teams have reached Sainthia from Rampurhat, Asansol and Burdwan.

The Eastern Railway has opened two helplines (numbers 23503537 and 23503535) at Sealdah for news of the victims.