After five coaches of the Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed near Digaru railway station in Assam's Kamrup (Metropolitan) district on Wednesday, the train continued travelling for nearly a kilometre after going off the tracks.
The horror was narrated by the crew members in the train, including the pantry car manager. Detailing the incident, he said that at around 5 AM, when all passengers were asleep, the train halted at Guwahati station. The train soon embarked towards Digaru and gained speed. When the train arrived at Digaru, it slowed down, and later an unidentified noise was heard.
He said that he felt the engine derail a few minutes later. "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," he was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.
"I fell down my seat thrice. We could not open the gate. We were all anxious. After 10 minutes, the train stopped. We thanked Chhatthi, whose blessings kept us all safe; otherwise, we would have been dead...Power car and engine are completely out of order now..." he added.
Four people injured
Four people sustained minor injuries in the incident. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that all those injured were safe. In a post on X, he said, "Four sustained minor injuries and are receiving care. We're working closely with the Railway Minister on this situation."
The injured passengers were rushed to the Sonapur Primary Health Centre for treatment.
What led to the derailment?
According to a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson, the loco pilot of the Sairang Express had given precedence to another train but was unable to control the speed, resulting in the derailment.
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"This resulted in an unfortunate incident of derailment, in which the locomotive along with 5 coaches derailed," the spokesperson said.
An alternative train was arranged by the department to transport the passengers to their destinations.