Goods train wagon derails in West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri, no injuries reported

The incident comes just a day after two people were killed and 20 others were injured after at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Jharkhand’s Seraikela-Kharsawan district on Tuesday. Pic PTI

A wagon of a goods train derailed near Rangapani station in West Bengal's New Jalpaiguri Rail Division on Wednesday, a senior official from the North-East Frontier Railway (NFR) said.

There was no report of any injury or fatality, the official added.

The empty petroleum wagon, which was part of the goods train, was headed for Rangapani siding when it jumped the tracks at 11:45 am, NFR Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Sabyasachi De told PTI. He added that there was no disruption in the railway traffic movement in the region.

According to De, railway personnel cleared the tracks by promptly hauling the derailed wagon.

The spot is not far from the site where three coaches of Sealdah-bound Kanchenjungha Express had derailed on June 17 as a goods train collided with it, claiming 10 lives.

There has been a surge in the number of rail accidents in the past few months.

Two persons were killed and 20 others injured after at least 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday. The accident occurred at 3.45 am near Barabamboo, around 80 km from Jamshedpur, under the Chakradharpur Division of South Eastern Railway (SER).

An SER spokesperson said there was another derailment of a goods train nearby, but it was not yet clear whether the two accidents occurred simultaneously. The railways announced an inquiry into the accident.

On July 27, several freight train cars were derailed at Boisar railway station in Maharashtra's Palghar District. No casualties or injuries were reported in the incident. A major accident was prevented as the train was running at a slow speed.

A week before that, seven coaches of a goods train derailed in Amroha, Uttar Pradesh (UP), followed by another incident in Rajasthan's Alwar where three wagons derailed on July 21. Earlier, a mishap in West Bengal's Darjeeling and another in UP's Gonda involving the Dibrugarh Express led to fatalities and injuries. Additionally, a goods train derailed in Gujarat's Valsad on July 19, causing disruptions in rail services.

These incidents have raised concerns, with opposition questioning the government about the consecutive train mishaps nationwide.

(With PTI inputs)