Kolkata: Several hurt after suburban train hits platform guard wall in Sealdah station
According to reports, the suburban train, which was coming from Sonarpur in South 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, could not be stopped before platform's buffer and it rammed into the dead end of platform number 13 at Sealdah station's south section.
A coach of the train got derailed and more than 16 passengers were hurt due to the accident.
Describing the incident, CPRO of Eastern Rail, Ravi Mahapatra, told IBNS: "Two wheels of the second coach from the front side of Sonarpur-Sealdah local (34417 UP) got derailed at platform no. 13 of Sealdah station's south section at around 10:25 am. after the train hit platform's guard wall."
"Due to the incident, platform no. 13 and 14 of Sealdah (south) staion were blocked for hours and we had to cancel three pairs of EMU locals. Train movements are maintained at Sealdah (south) station through other platforms and the derailed suburban train was re-railed at around 12:13 am," Ravi Mahapatra said.
Eastern Railway claimed that no casualty was reported in the incident.
"There was no injury or casualty to any passenger as reported immediately after the incident but subsequently it is informed that three persons sustained to minor injuries," Mahapatra added. "Our medical van along with Railway doctors and paramedics reached the scene by 10:38 am. and we provided first aid to the injured."
Meanwhile, Divisional Manager of Sealdah railway station, Basudeb Panda, said that a probe has been started into the incident.
"We have ordered an enquiry into the cause of the derailment while the motorman (driver) and the guard of the local train, Mainul Haque and R.A. Biswas respectively, have been suspended," Basudeb Panda told IBNS.
Following the incident, commuters staged demonstration at Sealdah station and a joint force of RPF and GRP brought the situation under control soon.
Till the last update came in, train operations from and to Sealdah station are being normalized.
(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
Support Our Journalism
We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism
IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.