NEW DELHI: Four people lost their lives, and 70 others were injured after the North East Express derailed near Raghunathpur railway station in Bihar’s Buxar district on Wednesday.
The North East Express, originating from Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi, was en route to Kamakhya Junction in Assam’s Guwahati when six coaches of the train derailed at 9:53 pm. Television footage revealed that at least two AC 3 Tier coaches had toppled over, while four other coaches had jumped the tracks.
“The train with the number 12506 (Anand Vihar Terminal to Kamakhya) was passing through the main line of Raghunathpur station when six coaches derailed,” the Railway Ministry said in a statement.
This 23-coach train departed from Anand Vihar Terminal in Delhi at 7:40 am on Wednesday for its approximately 33-hour journey to Kamakhya.
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Buxar Superintendent of Police (SP) Manish Kumar reported that four passengers had tragically lost their lives in the accident. A Railway Police Force official confirmed that at least 70 passengers had been injured and were subsequently transported to local hospitals. Those with severe injuries were rushed to AIIMS, Patna.
Immediate relief measures were set in motion following the incident, with ambulances and medical professionals swiftly arriving at the scene.
A total of 21 trains operating on the same route, including the Rajdhani Express between Delhi and Dibrugarh, have been diverted. Additionally, two trains, the Kashi Patna Jan Shatabdi Express (15125) and Patna Kashi Jan Shatabdi Express (15126), were cancelled, as per a statement issued by the East Central Railway zone.
War rooms have been established to oversee the early restoration of the coaches, and rescue operations are in full swing, according to a railway official.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated that his government is closely monitoring the situation. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw expressed his condolences for the lives lost and informed the public that “evacuation and rescue operations were completed,” promising an investigation into the root cause of the derailment.
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He also noted that authorities were actively engaged in repairing the impacted railway line, and a train had arrived to facilitate the transportation of stranded passengers to Guwahati.