One dead, 67 injured in train collision at West Bengal's Nadia district

KOLKATA: One person was killed and 67 were injured tonight when a local train hit another waiting at a platform in West Bengal's Nadia district, officials said.

The head-on collision took place when the Shantipur- Sealdah local which was coming from the opposite direction hit the stationary Sealdah-Shantipur local train waiting at the number 2 platform of Phulia station.

Two coaches of Shantipur-Sealdah local and three coaches of the other train were derailed after the first train's driver ignored the red signal resulting in the collision, a railway spokesperson said.

An off-duty railway gateman Purnendu Mandal, who was travelling in the other train was killed, officials said adding its driver is among the injured.

Only five of the 67 injured are now in local civil hospitals while the remaining were released after first-aid.

Two accident relief trains, one medical train and two lift cranes have been sent for relief and rescue operations.

When contacted, Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi told PTI that an ex-gratia compensation of Rs 5 lakh will be given to the nearest kin of the deceased and Rs 50000 for those injured.

Alleging that the Railway staff present at the station were negligent in performing their duty, agitated locals beat up cabin man Pradip Dey who had to be taken to a hospital later on.

It has been alleged by locals that he was working in an inebriated condition in the night leading to the accident. Railway officials, however, refused to comment on the matter.

Local MLA Ajoy De, senior railway officials including, East Central Railway general manager Varun Varthuar, reached the spot to monitor the rescue work.