In a recent incident near West Bengal's Bankura, two goods trains collided, resulting in several wagons derailing. The collision occurred at Onda station around 4 am on Sunday.
One of the goods trains struck the other from behind, causing 12 wagons to derail. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, but the driver of one of the trains sustained minor injuries.
Railway officials stated that both goods trains were empty, and the exact cause of the accident and how the collision occurred are yet to be determined.
The incident has affected train services in the Adra division, which serves four districts in West Bengal (West Midnapore, Bankura, Purulia, and Burdwan) and three districts in Jharkhand (Dhanbad, Bokaro, and Singhbhum). The Adra division falls under the jurisdiction of the South Eastern Railway.
Authorities are working diligently to restore the upline and resume train operations as quickly as possible. It is crucial to reopen the section promptly to enable the movement of trains like the Purulia Express.
This incident comes merely a month after a devastating triple train collision in Odisha, which claimed the lives of at least 275 individuals. The collision took place in the Balasore district and involved the Coromandel Express, Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, and a goods train.
Around 7 pm on June 2 near the Bahanaga Bazar station, the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, bound for Chennai, derailed after colliding with a goods train on an adjacent track. Subsequently, the rear carriage of the Coromandel Express veered off onto a third track.
Tragically, the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, approaching from the opposite direction on the third track, crashed into the derailed coaches. The severity of this accident was heightened by the sequential collisions of three trains, resulting in significant loss of life and injuries.
Railway authorities are undoubtedly under immense pressure to investigate the recent collision near Bankura and identify the cause. Additionally, they must work diligently to restore normal train operations while prioritizing passenger safety.
These incidents serve as reminders of the criticality of robust safety measures and vigilant monitoring to prevent such tragedies on railway networks.