Five killed in Brahmaputra mail collision

At least five people were killed and five others injured when the Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Mail collided with a goods train near Sahebganj district of Jharkhand during early hours of Wednesday morning.

The mishap took place near Karanpurato halt, 20 kms from Sahebganj and under the Malda division of Eastern Railway, at around 5:50 AM.

Anil Saxena, Railway spokesperson, has said that the Bramhaputra Mail- - 14055 was passing through the station from neighboring loop line when a goods train, which was standing on the main line following some engine problem, started rolling back and collision happened.

Under the impact of the collision, nine bogies of the goods train and a sleeper coach S-9 of the Brahmaputra Mail were derailed. The latter was traveling from Dibrugarh district of Assam to Delhi.

Several passengers were stuck in the derailed coach, tenth from the engine.

Relief train from Dumka was rushed to the accident site and the victims were carried to a district hospital in local hospital in Karanpura. Stranded passengers were provided relief while people who sustained minor injuries were treated in the train itself.

Various helplines at Delhi, Rangia and Jharkhand stations have been set up.

Saxena also said that Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi has expressed his heartfelt condolence for the innocent people who lost their lives.

He also said that an enhanced ex-gratia payment of five-lakhs to the kith and kins of the deceased, a compensation of fifty-thousand to those with serious injuries and ten-thousand to those with minor injuries will be given.

Railway board in Delhi will conduct an enquiry into the matter.