Railways response to disaster slow: Chidambaram

SAINTHIA: Two days after the train collision in West Bengal that killed over 60 people, home minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday questioned the disaster response.

Speaking at a National Disaster Management Authority function, Chidambaram urged the railways to improve the response mechanism. He said that that the first relief train took over two hours to reach while the second one took seven hours - something that was unacceptable.

"I was informed that the first relief team reached two and a half hours after the mishap, and the second team reached seven hours after accident...the delay was due to the fact they had to travel 220 kms by road," said Chidambaram.

The accident was caused by a speeding train, the Uttarbanga Express, hit the Vananchal Express from behind just as it was leaving the platform at Sainthia station in Birbhum district.

Villagers in the area were quick to organise rescue operations. Their efforts have been praised by both railways minister Mamata Banerjee and Chidambaram.

Banerjee herself has been attacked by political opponents, who claim the accident highlights that the railways minister is too distracted by the politics in her home state of West Bengal to closely supervise the railways.

In May, nearly 150 people were killed when the Jnaneswari Express derailed in Jhargram