In a devastating incident, a North East Express train derailed near Raghunathpur Railway Station in Bihar's Buxar district, leading to the loss of at least four lives and injuries to nearly 70 people. The express train was on its way from Delhi's Anand Vihar Terminal to Kamakhya Junction in Assam's Guwahati when 21 of its coaches derailed at 9:53 pm on Wednesday evening.
Condolences from the Railway Minister
Following the tragic accident, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who is also a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, expressed his deepest condolences for the irreparable loss. He vowed to investigate the root cause of the derailment and had earlier coordinated a joint rescue operation with the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), railway officials, district administration, and local residents.
Railway Helplines Established
In response to the incident, the Railways promptly established helpline numbers for public inquiries. These include Danapur station (DNR) at 8905697493, Patna station (PNBE) at 9771449971, and Ara station (ARA) at 8306182542.
Train Diversions and Cancellations
Due to the derailment, at least 21 trains have been diverted from the affected route. Among them, the Patna Kashi Jan Shatabdi Express (15126) and Kashi Patna Jan Shatabdi Express (15125) have been cancelled, while others like the Patliputra SF Express (12141), Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express (12424), Pune-Danapur SF Express (12149), Vikramshila Express (12368), Rajendra Nagar Terminal Tejas Rajdhani Express (12310), Kamakhya Express (15623), Anvt Rdp Express (22488), Guwahati Express (15633), and Bhagalpur Garib Rath Express (22406) have been rerouted.
Political Responses to the Derailment
In the wake of this tragic incident, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav assured that the state government is actively involved in rescue, relief, and treatment efforts for the victims and the injured. Meanwhile, the Assam Chief Minister's Office announced that stranded passengers of the 12506 train are being transported from Raghunathpur Station to Kamakhya Junction via a special relief train on Thursday morning.
Recalling a Recent Train Accident
It is worth noting that earlier this year, another tragic train accident occurred when the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express mistakenly entered a passing loop instead of the main line on June 2 at Bahanaga Bazar Railway Station in Odisha. This mishap led to a collision with a goods train, causing the derailment of three of the Coromandel Express's coaches and a collision with the SMVT Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express on the adjacent track. This catastrophic event resulted in one of India's largest train tragedies, claiming the lives of over 290 individuals.
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