NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the loss of lives in the train accident near New Jalpaiguri which involved the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express and a goods train in West Bengal on Monday.
At least eight people were killed and several others have been injured in the accident so far.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the “Railway accident in West Bengal is saddening.Condolences to those who lost their loved ones”.
The PM has also engaged with Railway officials to assess the situation following the collision. He has directed Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to reach the accident site promptly.
“I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well,” he added.
PM Modi also announced ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakhs from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured.
Rescue operations, conducted jointly by teams from the state government and the Indian Railways, have commenced between New Jalpaiguri and Rangapani stations. However, inclement weather, including rain in the region, is hampering these efforts.
As per the latest report, rescuers are cautiously maneuvering through the manual process of repositioning affected compartments to locate potentially trapped passengers. The use of gas cutters is being avoided at present to prevent endangering lives, as there are concerns that more individuals might be trapped inside.
An official from the state disaster management department present at the scene reportedly said, “We are avoiding the use of gas cutters right now as we fear that more people might be trapped inside the affected compartments. Since we are still adopting the manual process, the rescue process is slow. Rainfall is adding further difficulty.”
Meanwhile, the injured have been swiftly transported to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for urgent medical attention.
At least eight people were killed and several others have been injured in the accident so far.
In a post on X, the Prime Minister said the “Railway accident in West Bengal is saddening.Condolences to those who lost their loved ones”.
The PM has also engaged with Railway officials to assess the situation following the collision. He has directed Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to reach the accident site promptly.
“I pray that the injured recover at the earliest. Spoke to officials and took stock of the situation. Rescue operations are underway to assist the affected. The Railways Minister Shri @AshwiniVaishnaw Ji is on the way to the site of the mishap as well,” he added.
PM Modi also announced ex-gratia amount of Rs 2 lakhs from PMNRF to the next of kin of each deceased and Rs 50,000 to each injured.
Rescue operations, conducted jointly by teams from the state government and the Indian Railways, have commenced between New Jalpaiguri and Rangapani stations. However, inclement weather, including rain in the region, is hampering these efforts.
As per the latest report, rescuers are cautiously maneuvering through the manual process of repositioning affected compartments to locate potentially trapped passengers. The use of gas cutters is being avoided at present to prevent endangering lives, as there are concerns that more individuals might be trapped inside.
An official from the state disaster management department present at the scene reportedly said, “We are avoiding the use of gas cutters right now as we fear that more people might be trapped inside the affected compartments. Since we are still adopting the manual process, the rescue process is slow. Rainfall is adding further difficulty.”
Meanwhile, the injured have been swiftly transported to the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri for urgent medical attention.