New Delhi: Six coaches of the North East Express, which was travelling from Delhi to Kamakhya, went off the tracks near Raghunathpur station in Buxar district of Bihar on Wednesday night, killing at least four passengers and injuring 70 others. The accident happened at 9:53 pm and two of the derailed coaches were AC III Tier, which were badly damaged, as shown by television footage. News agency PTI reported that Buxar SP Manish Kumar confirmed the death toll of four passengers. A RPF official said that 70 passengers were wounded and taken to nearby hospitals. The critically injured were shifted to AIIMS, Patna.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on X that he was saddened by the loss of lives and vowed to find out the reason behind the derailment. He also said that the rescue and evacuation operations were over and all the coaches were inspected. The train, which had 23 coaches, left Anand Vihar terminal in Delhi at 7:40 am on Wednesday and was supposed to reach Kamakhya, near Guwahati, after almost 33 hours.
Hari Pathak, a local resident, said that they heard a loud noise and saw smoke coming out of the train. “We ran to see what happened. The train had derailed and the AC coaches were the worst hit,” he said. Locals were seen helping the passengers get out of the overturned coaches in the television visuals. A woman passenger, who was in shock, was also assisted by the locals. Police officials also reached the spot and helped in rescuing the passengers from the train.
Rajiv Chandra Singh, SDPO of Jagdishpur, said that the accident caused damage to electric wires and poles, and rail tracks. He said that some coaches fell off balance but did not overturn, which reduced the casualties. He added that the technical team would provide more details about the cause of the accident. Birendra Kumar, CPRO of East Central Railway zone, told PTI that the train had left Buxar station less than 30 minutes before the accident and was on its way to Ara.
He said that the train did not have a scheduled halt at Raghunathpur station, where the derailment occurred. Ambulances and doctors were sent to the site as soon as the incident was reported. Tejashwi Yadav, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister, issued a statement saying that he had instructed the disaster management and health departments to provide speedy relief to as many people as possible.
He said that he had also spoken to the district magistrates of Buxar and Bhojpur (where Ara is located) and asked them to reach the site as soon as possible and expedite relief work.
He said that medical officers and health workers were ready for rescue and relief operations at Sub-Divisional Hospital Jagdishpur and Shahpur Hospital in Bhojpur district. He also said that ambulances from Rohtas, Buxar and Bhojpur districts had been dispatched to the spot.
A railways official said that they had made alternative arrangements for transporting the passengers of the derailed train to their destinations.
He said that a scratch rake was sent from Patna to carry passengers from the accident site. A scratch rake is a temporary rake with a similar configuration as the original train. He also said that six buses were sent to evacuate passengers to safety.
Another railway official said that one rake was arranged from Ara to take stranded passengers to their onward journeys.
Deepak Kumar, Inspector of RPF, told reporters that medical teams had been sent to the spot. He also said that local hospitals in Buxar town had been alerted by the district administration.
He said that rescue and medical teams had been sent to the spot. The railways
