Narrow Escape for Passengers as Kolkata-Sairang Express Derails at Digaru Station in Assam

A locomotive and five coaches of the Kolkata-Sairang Express (Train No. 13125) derailed at Digaru Railway Station in Assam’s Kamrup (Metro) district at about 6.54 am on Wednesday. No injuries or deaths have been reported, according to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

All passengers are safe and are being taken to their destinations on an alternative train, NFR said, and relief and rescue operations are under way. The NFR General Manager and other senior officials have gone to the site.

WHAT NFR SAYS HAPPENED

The train was being received at Digaru, on the outskirts of Guwahati, to give way to another train when the accident occurred, according to NFR.

Its Chief Public Relations Officer, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, said the loco pilot could not control the speed, which led to the locomotive and five coaches jumping the tracks.

The derailment affected both lines at the station. The cause is yet to be established, and the railway has not announced an inquiry.

“AN ENGINE’S BRAKES FAILED”

A local resident who rushed to the spot, about 500 metres from the station, said he saw six coaches off the rails. “We have heard that the train suffered brake failure,” he said. “There were several houses nearby, but fortunately, no one was harmed.” The resident’s claim has not been confirmed.

He demanded accountability from the Railway Ministry and NFR’s headquarters in Maligaon. “An engine’s brakes failed even in this age of technology; this is a very big deal. This must be investigated and those responsible should be punished,” he said.

OTHER DERAILMENTS THIS WEEK

On Monday night, two wheels of an empty freight train derailed near Dhedela in Gujarat, while it was travelling from Dahod toward Jakot, and two Delhi-bound trains were delayed.

In Tamil Nadu, seven empty coaches rolled away unattended from the yard at Jolarpettai Junction and ran about six kilometres without an engine before derailing near Thamaleri Muthur, which disrupted services between Bengaluru and Chennai. No one was hurt in either incident.

With inputs from ANI