Nine persons, two of them railway crew members, were killed when a goods train collided with Kanchanjunga Express between the Rangapani and Chattar Hat stations in Darjeeling district of West Bengal.
The goods train hit a stationary Kanchanjunga Express from behind on the same track at speed
Four coaches at the rear of the express train and five wagons of the goods train derailed.
A few coaches of the express train, including the guard’s cabin and two parcel vans, climbed onto the coaches of the goods train
Railway Board Chairperson Jaya Varma Sinha earlier said the collision might have happened as the goods train driver disregarded the signal.
Later, the Railway Board said though the loco pilot of the goods train was given authorisation to cross all signals in red between the two stations as the automatic signalling system was “defective”, the train’s speed was above the limit prescribed for such an eventuality.
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