Bihar Train Accident: Number Of Fatalities Has Climbed To Four, And Over 70 Passengers Have Sustained Injuries

Late on Wednesday night, a tragic incident occurred when several coaches of the Delhi-Kamakhya Northeast Express derailed near the Raghunathpur station in Bihar's Buxar district, resulting in the loss of at least four lives and leaving 30 passengers injured. This mishap led to the diversion of 92 trains and the cancellation of eight others.

The unfortunate derailment happened when the train was running one hour and 40 minutes behind its scheduled time. The impact of the derailment was severe, causing damage to pillars, electrical poles, signal posts, and both tracks at the accident site. Consequently, several trains on the New Delhi-Howrah main line were delayed as they were held at different locations.

Initial assessments by officials point to the possibility of poor track maintenance or a fault in the track-changing mechanism as the likely causes of the derailment. It's worth noting that the area in question is not known for any unlawful activities.

This incident is a grim reminder of the significance of rail safety and infrastructure maintenance. It occurred just months after a rail disaster in Odisha's Bahanaga Bazar, which resulted from faulty connections in the automated signaling system. In that tragic event on June 2, 288 people lost their lives, and over 1,000 were injured when a passenger train collided with a stationary freight train and subsequently derailed, hitting another passenger train traveling in the opposite direction.

Authorities have identified three of the deceased passengers in the Bihar accident as Usha Bhandari (33 years old), Akriti Bhandari (8 years old), and Abu Jayand (27 years old), while the identity of the fourth victim is still to be determined. Most of the injured passengers are currently receiving treatment at hospitals in Buxar, Ara, and Patna.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has pledged to investigate the "root cause of the derailment" and was expected to visit the accident site. The relief and rescue teams promptly reached the scene, ensuring the evacuation of all trapped passengers and the efforts to reposition the derailed coaches on the tracks.

The East Central Railways' chief public relations officer, Birendra Kumar, confirmed that a technical committee is investigating the technical aspects of the derailment. He noted that three coaches sustained the most damage, and compensation has been provided to the families of the deceased, with injured passengers also receiving compensation. This incident underscores the ongoing challenges and importance of maintaining safety and infrastructure in the country's extensive railway network.