At least twelve coaches of a passenger train derailed after it collided with a stationary goods train at Kavarapettai, located near Chennai in the Tiruvallur district, in Tamil Nadu on Friday night. Southern Railway confirmed that there were no fatalities, although a few passengers sustained injuries.
The Bagmati Express, after crossing Ponneri station at 8:27 PM, experienced a heavy jerk. Upon entering the loop line, it collided with a goods train. Police officials said that a fire broke out near one of the coaches, however, the railway has not confirmed this.
This latest train accident adds to a growing list, as India has seen numerous train accidents over the past decade due to technical failures and human negligence.
In the 2023-24 financial year, a total of 40 train accidents resulted in 313 passenger deaths and four railway employee fatalities, according to information from the Ministry of Railways. This year’s casualty figures are the highest in a decade and account for almost half the number of deaths reported over the last ten years, which included a total of 719 passenger deaths and 29 employee fatalities from 638 train accidents.
Here are some of the major train accidents that have occurred in recent years:
Kanchanjunga Express Accident (June 17, 2024): At least eleven people were killed and over 60 injured when a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express near the Rangapani station in West Bengal. This accident took place just seven kilometers from Bengal’s New Jalpaiguri station. Three rear compartments of the express train derailed due to the impact of the collision.
Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express (June 2, 2023): A tragic incident occurred when the Coromandel Express collided with a stationary freight train at Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district. This collision resulted in the derailment of some coaches, which then collided with the Yeshwantpur-Howrah Express. The accident claimed the lives of at least 293 people and left over 1,200 injured.
Freight Train Accident (May 8, 2020): An empty freight train running from Cherlapally Station near Hyderabad to Panewadi Station in Nashik accidentally ran over 16 workers who were sleeping on the tracks. The loco pilot reportedly spotted the workers but was unable to stop the train in time. The migrant workers were from Madhya Pradesh and were attempting to travel back home amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Bikaner-Guwahati Express (January 13, 2022): On this date, 10 passengers were killed and more than 40 injured after 12 coaches of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express derailed in the Domohani area of West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri district.
Seemanchal Express (February 3, 2019): A rail fracture led to the derailment of bogies of the Delhi-bound Seemanchal Express in Bihar’s Vaishali district. Several people died, and many others were injured in this incident. Rail fractures can occur due to fatigue, wear and tear, lack of proper maintenance, and corrosion.
Amritsar Train Accident (October 19, 2018): Tragedy struck during a Dussehra celebration in Amritsar when a speeding train ran over a crowd that had spilled onto the tracks while watching the burning of a giant Ravana effigy. At least 60 people were killed by two trains, with 74 others injured. A crowd of about 300 had gathered to watch the fireworks during the festivities when the Jalandhar-Amritsar DMU approached the tracks.
(With inputs from agencies)
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