Jamshedpur: Two persons were killed and 50 others injured after 18 coaches of a train bound for Mumbai derailed in Jharkhand on Tuesday.
The Howrah-CSMT Express (train number 12810) derailed between Rajkharsawan and Badabambo stations at around 4 a.m., 80 km from Jamshedpur in the Chakradharpur railway division of Jharkhand.
Railway teams were engaged in rescue and relief operations, and many injured passengers have been admitted to nearby hospitals.
Senior officials from the Chakradharpur railway division, along with a relief train, have reached the accident site.
The Senior DCM (Divisional Commercial Manager) of Chakradharpur Division, Aditya Kumar Choudhary, confirmed the accident.
According to the Seraikela district administration, two passengers have died, and the injured have been transported to hospitals by buses.
The train operations on the Tatanagar-Chakradharpur section of the South Eastern Railway have been completely halted due to the accident.
Several trains have been cancelled, and some are being run on alternative routes.
The process of removing the derailed coaches and rescuing trapped passengers is ongoing with the help of cranes and other machinery.
Most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the accident. Suddenly, a loud noise and jolts were felt as several coaches derailed one after another. Panic ensued inside the train as people scrambled to save their lives. Many passengers sleeping on the upper berths fell, and luggage was scattered everywhere.
Following the accident, the Railways have issued helpline numbers: Tatanagar — 06572290324, Chakradharpur — 06587238072, Rourkela — 06612501072, 06612500244, and Howrah — 9433357920, 03326382217.
–IANS