Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 11 (ANI): The locomotive engine along with five coaches of the Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed at Digaru Railway Station in Assam’s Kamrup (Metro) district on Wednesday morning after the loco pilot could not control the train’s speed while it was being received at the station to give precedence to another train, according to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).
All passengers are safe, and no injuries have been reported.
The incident occurred at around 6:54 am when Train No. 13125, travelling from Kolkata to Sairang, was entering Digaru Railway Station.
Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, said the locomotive and five coaches derailed after the loco pilot failed to control the speed of the train.
"An unfortunate incident occurred at around 6:54 AM involving Train No. 13125, the Kolkata-Sairang Express, which was travelling from Kolkata to Sairang. The train was stopped at Digaru Railway Station to give precedence to the Jan Shatabdi Express. However, it could not stop in time, resulting in the derailment of the five front coaches. Fortunately, the train was moving at a low speed, and there have been no reports of casualties or major injuries," Sharma said.
He also informed that an alternative train is being arranged from Guwahati for all passengers.
Sharma said, "We are arranging an alternative train from Guwahati to ensure that all passengers reach their respective destinations in Sairang safely. The main railway line will also be restored shortly, after which normal train operations will resume."
"Efforts are underway to restore the affected coaches as soon as possible. Our senior officials have already reached the site. An investigation will be conducted to determine the cause of the incident and identify any underlying issues," he added.
NFR said arrangements had been made to transport passengers to their respective destinations by an alternative train. Relief and rescue operations were launched immediately, and the General Manager, along with senior railway officials, proceeded to the site to monitor restoration work.
An announcement was also made at Digaru Railway Station asking passengers to move to another platform, where arrangements were being made for their onward journey by an alternative train.
A passenger travelling on the train described the difficulties faced by passengers while trying to evacuate after the derailment.
“After the accident, we tried to evacuate. But the space between compartments was cramped; we had trouble. But a train from Sairang is coming to take us,” the passenger said.
The pantry car manager said the train had been running normally until it reached Digaru, where passengers heard a sound as it crossed the platform. He described how the train continued moving after the derailment and how passengers struggled to get out.
“We were asleep around 5 am today. Everything was fine till Guwahati; the train halted there. It resumed the journey from there. The speed was good. When the train arrived at Digaru Station, it slowed down a little. When it crossed the platform at the station, a sound was heard. We don’t know what that sound was. Barely a few metres ahead, I felt the engine derail. We moved for another km in that derailed state. I fell from my seat thrice. We could not open the gate. We were all anxious. After 10 minutes, the train stopped,” the pantry car manager said.
He thanked Chhatthi for the safety of the passengers and said the engine and power car had been badly damaged.
“We thanked Chhatthi, whose blessings kept us all safe; otherwise, we would have been dead. The power car and engine are completely out of order now,” he added.
Meanwhile, NFR said the derailment had affected the movement of two other trains. Train No. 12067 (Guwahati-Jorhat Town) Jan Shatabdi Express was controlled at Panbari, while Train No. 15627 (Coimbatore-Silchar) Express was controlled at Panikhaiti. (ANI)
Narrow escape for passengers as Kolkata-Sairang Express derails at Digaru Station in Assam
