Two killed, 20 injured as coaches of Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailed in Jharkhand
Jamshedpur/Ranchi/Kolkata: 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 about 3.45 am near Barabamboo, around 80 km from Jamshedpur, under the Chakradharpur Division of the South Eastern Railway (SER).
This is the third major accident between June and July. The Opposition parties flayed the Centre for repeated train accidents over the past couple of weeks, saying that the “nightmare continues”. The Congress branded railway minister Ashwani Vaishnaw as a “failed minister” and claimed that there is “no accountability” in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “new India.” West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee wondered whether there will be no end to the Centre's callousness.
The ill-fated train, which left Howrah on Monday night, met with tragedy early Tuesday morning in Jharkhand.
“At least 18 coaches of the 22-coach 12810 Howrah-Mumbai Mail via Nagpur derailed near Barabamboo station in SER's Chakradharpur Division at 3.45 am. Of these, 16 were passenger coaches, one power car and one pantry car,” South Eastern Railway spokesperson Om Prakash Charan said.
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren directed officials to expedite relief operations and help the victims. “The injured passengers were provided medical aid in Barabamboo. They were taken to Chakradharpur for better treatment,” a senior SER official said.
According to the railway CPRO, rescue and relief operations have been completed. “Eighty per cent of passengers have already been sent to Chakradharpur railway station. The remaining 20 per cent are being sent through a special train,” the CPRO added.
The railway, meanwhile, has announced `10 lakhs ex gratia for the kin of each deceased, `5 lakhs for those with major injuries and `1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
Following the derailment, the SER cancelled a few express and passenger trains. These are the 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabanji Express, 08015/18019 Kharagpur-Jhargram-Dhanbad Express, 12021/12022 Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express, 18109 Tatanagar-Itwari Express and 18030 Shalimar-LTT Express.
Some other trains are also being short-terminated or diverted, a senior official said. They are 18114 Bilaspur-Tatanagar Express, which will be short-terminated at Rourkela; 18190 Ernakulam-Tatanagar Express at Chakradharpur; 18011 Howrah-Chakradharpur Express at Adra and 18110 Itwari-Tatanagar Express at Bilaspur.
Taking a jibe at the Centre, Jharkhand’s ruling JMM posted on social media, “Hemant Soren Ji or the INDIA bloc has no hand in this. Do not give threats to get us trapped by ED/CBI.”
Tagging BJP state president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi, the post further said, “The entire responsibility for this (train accident) lies with your railway minister and the Central government. Stop the railway minister from making reels and request that he focus on railways.”
TMC MP Sushmita Dev labelled train accidents as the “new normal” under the BJP-led government at the Centre and accused the railway ministry of zero accountability. She wrote on X: “The GOI has no answers whatsoever.”
Hitting out at the railway minister, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on X, “Yet another railway accident. But the PR machine of the Fail Minister continues… In June and July 2024 alone, the Fail Minister has overseen three accidents that have cumulatively cost 17 Indians their lives and left 100s injured.”
Slamming the Centre over frequent train accidents, Ms Banerjee wondered whether this is governance. In her post on X, she said, “Another disastrous rail accident! Howrah-Mumbai mail derailed in Chakradharpur division in Jharkhand early this morning. Multiple deaths and a large number of injuries are the tragic consequences… I seriously ask: Is this governance? This series of nightmares almost every week, this unending procession of deaths and injuries on railway tracks -- for how long shall we tolerate this? Will there be no end to the callousness of the government of India?"
This is the third major accident between June and July. The Opposition parties flayed the Centre for repeated train accidents over the past couple of weeks, saying that the “nightmare continues”. The Congress branded railway minister Ashwani Vaishnaw as a “failed minister” and claimed that there is “no accountability” in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “new India.” West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee wondered whether there will be no end to the Centre's callousness.
The ill-fated train, which left Howrah on Monday night, met with tragedy early Tuesday morning in Jharkhand.
“At least 18 coaches of the 22-coach 12810 Howrah-Mumbai Mail via Nagpur derailed near Barabamboo station in SER's Chakradharpur Division at 3.45 am. Of these, 16 were passenger coaches, one power car and one pantry car,” South Eastern Railway spokesperson Om Prakash Charan said.
Jharkhand chief minister Hemant Soren directed officials to expedite relief operations and help the victims. “The injured passengers were provided medical aid in Barabamboo. They were taken to Chakradharpur for better treatment,” a senior SER official said.
According to the railway CPRO, rescue and relief operations have been completed. “Eighty per cent of passengers have already been sent to Chakradharpur railway station. The remaining 20 per cent are being sent through a special train,” the CPRO added.
The railway, meanwhile, has announced `10 lakhs ex gratia for the kin of each deceased, `5 lakhs for those with major injuries and `1 lakh for those with minor injuries.
Following the derailment, the SER cancelled a few express and passenger trains. These are the 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabanji Express, 08015/18019 Kharagpur-Jhargram-Dhanbad Express, 12021/12022 Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Jan Shatabdi Express, 18109 Tatanagar-Itwari Express and 18030 Shalimar-LTT Express.
Some other trains are also being short-terminated or diverted, a senior official said. They are 18114 Bilaspur-Tatanagar Express, which will be short-terminated at Rourkela; 18190 Ernakulam-Tatanagar Express at Chakradharpur; 18011 Howrah-Chakradharpur Express at Adra and 18110 Itwari-Tatanagar Express at Bilaspur.
Taking a jibe at the Centre, Jharkhand’s ruling JMM posted on social media, “Hemant Soren Ji or the INDIA bloc has no hand in this. Do not give threats to get us trapped by ED/CBI.”
Tagging BJP state president and former chief minister Babulal Marandi, the post further said, “The entire responsibility for this (train accident) lies with your railway minister and the Central government. Stop the railway minister from making reels and request that he focus on railways.”
TMC MP Sushmita Dev labelled train accidents as the “new normal” under the BJP-led government at the Centre and accused the railway ministry of zero accountability. She wrote on X: “The GOI has no answers whatsoever.”
Hitting out at the railway minister, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said on X, “Yet another railway accident. But the PR machine of the Fail Minister continues… In June and July 2024 alone, the Fail Minister has overseen three accidents that have cumulatively cost 17 Indians their lives and left 100s injured.”
Slamming the Centre over frequent train accidents, Ms Banerjee wondered whether this is governance. In her post on X, she said, “Another disastrous rail accident! Howrah-Mumbai mail derailed in Chakradharpur division in Jharkhand early this morning. Multiple deaths and a large number of injuries are the tragic consequences… I seriously ask: Is this governance? This series of nightmares almost every week, this unending procession of deaths and injuries on railway tracks -- for how long shall we tolerate this? Will there be no end to the callousness of the government of India?"