'Train moved 1 km after derailing’: Pantry manager recounts Assam train accident

The Kolkata-Sairang Express derailment near Digaru railway station in Assam's Kamrup (Metropolitan) district on Wednesday left passengers shaken, with a crew member describing how the train continued travelling for nearly a kilometre after going off the tracks.

The pantry car manager said passengers were asleep at around 5 am and that everything appeared normal until the train halted at Guwahati. Recalling the moments before the accident, he said the train slowed down as it approached Digaru station, following which passengers heard an unidentified sound.

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"The speed was good. When the train arrived at Digaru Station, it slowed down a little. When it crossed the platform at the station, a sound was heard. We don't know what that sound was. Barely a few metres ahead, I felt the engine derail. We moved for another km in that derailed state," he said as quoted by news agencyANI.

"I fell down my seat thrice. We could not open the gate. We were all anxious. After 10 minutes, the train stopped. We thanked Chhatthi, whose blessings kept us all safe; otherwise, we would have been dead...Power car and engine are completely out of order now..." he added.

Four injured in derailment

Four people sustained minor injuries after the locomotive and five coaches of the Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed near Digaru in Assam on Wednesday, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

In a post on social media, Sarma said all passengers were safe and confirmed that the injured were receiving medical attention.

"Four sustained minor injuries and are receiving care. We're working closely with @RailMinIndia on this situation," he said.

The chief minister added that basic necessities had been provided to passengers stranded following the accident and that an alternative train had been arranged to take them to their destinations.

The four injured passengers were taken to the Sonapur Primary Health Centre for treatment.

What caused the derailment?

According to a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) spokesperson, the accident took place as the Kolkata-Sairang Express was entering Digaru railway station. The loco pilot had given precedence to another train but was unable to control the speed, resulting in the derailment, the spokesperson said.

"This resulted in an unfortunate incident of derailment, in which the locomotive along with 5 coaches derailed," the spokesperson said.

Railway authorities arranged an alternative train to transport passengers to their destinations, the spokesperson said. A recovery train was also dispatched to the site to carry out rescue operations and clear the affected tracks.