New Delhi: The train reported the first incident of passenger deaths in an accident on Thursday after a gap of nearly 34 months.
At least five passengers on the ship were left dead and 20 others were injured because of the 12 Bogies Bikaner Express which was bound by Guwahati slipping in the district of Jalpaiguri West Bengal.
The last time the death of the passenger was reported in an accident on March 22, 2019.
The news came as a surprise to the headquarters of the train ministry and shortly after the Railroad Council ordered a high-level investigation by the commissioner of a train safety.
The chairman of the V K Tripathi train board and the Director General rushed to the place.
Minister of Train Union Ashwini Vaishnaw also left for the site to take a stock situation.
Vaishnaw announced an increase in ex gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh for death, Rs 1 lakh for those who were injured by others and Rs 25,000 for injured people.
Officials said the reason for the venue was unclear and detailed investigations would reveal the exact cause of fatal accidents.
In February last year, then Minister of Railway Union Piyush faltered had told Rajya Sabha that there was no single passenger death due to training accidents after March 22, 2019.
Vaishnaw also told Rajya Sabha on July 30 last year that there was no death of train passengers During 2019-20 and 2020-21.
Before that in 2018-19, Railway has recorded 16 deaths, 28 deaths in 2017-18 and 195 deaths during 2016-17, according to a written reply by the Minister.
The achievement of zero passenger deaths in 2019-20 was praised as the achievement first of all by National Transporter in a 166-year history.
The train keeps the record of all deaths that occur in a place under three separate heads – consequential accidents, enter without unwanted permission and incidents – and passenger deaths due to dereting, collisions or other errors are recorded as fatal accidents.
The incident was like people ran after the trace or death caused by people standing on the train footing or the train hanging out as an incident that entered without permission and unwanted.
Passenger death train reports 1 accidentally after a gap of nearly 34 months
