32 killed in West Bengal railway accident (Second Lead)

SAINTHIA - At least 32 people were confirmed dead and more casualties are feared after the stationary Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express was hit from behind by the speeding Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express at Sainthia station in India’s eastern state of West Bengal early Monday.

Birbhum District Magistrate Soumitra Mohan confirmed the death of 32 people in the accident that occurred 191 km from Howrah on the Bolpur-Rampurhat section of Eastern Railway’s Howrah division at around 2.15 a.m.

“We have recovered 32 bodies so far. More than 70 injured passengers from the Vanachal Express have been rescued,” Mohan said.

However, Chief Security Commissioner of Eastern Railway S. Sahoo told IANS: “We fear more than 50 have died.”

The dead includes the driver and assistant driver of the Uttarbanga Express and the guard of the Vananchal Express.

An Eastern Railway spokesman said the Vananchal Express was standing at platform 4 when the speeding Uttarbanga Express, coming from New Coochbehar, hit it from the rear. Three rear coaches of the Vananchal Express bore the brunt of the collision and were badly mangled. Such was the impact of the collision that one of the coaches went up to the overbridge.

The authorities were using gas-cutters to cut open the coaches and bring out the dead and rescue the injured.

Eye-witnesses said the Vananchal Express was about to leave the station when the accident occurred.

Sainthia Government Railway Police (GRP) sources said the injured passengers were being sent to hospitals in Sainthia and Birbhum district headquarters Suri.

Train movement on the down line has been disrupted in the Bolpur-Rampurhat section. The down Malda-Howrah Intercity Express has been cancelled and many trains were stranded on the down line.

Union Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee is slated to go to the spot later in the day. Eastern Railway General Manager V.N. Tripathy has left for the spot in a special train. An accident relief train and a medical relief train have also reached Sainthia. Rescue operation teams have reached Sainthia from Rampurhat, Asansol and Burdwan.

The Eastern Railway has opened two helplines (numbers 23503537 and 23503535) at Sealdah for news of the victims.

Helplines have also been opened at Howrah, Bhagalpur and Jamalpur atations.