Train Accident in Bihar: 4 Dead, 100 Injured, Multiple Disruptions on 21 Routes

The North-East Express (12506), traveling from Delhi to Bihar and heading towards Guwahati, derailed unexpectedly on Wednesday night. All 21 coaches of the train had derailed, with two AC-3 tier bogies also overturning. This unfortunate accident resulted in the tragic deaths of four passengers, including two men, a mother, and her 5-year-old daughter.

The accident occurred near Raghunathpur station, between Buxar and Ara, around 9:35 PM. Over 100 passengers on the train were injured, with 15 to 20 of them in critical condition. Ten of the injured have been transferred to Patna’s AIIMS for further medical treatment, while local hospitals continue to provide care to the remaining injured passengers.

The derailment is suspected to have been caused by a track failure. After the derailment, the tracks were damaged for a distance of two feet. On the other hand, the train guard reported, “At the time of the derailment, the train was running at nearly 120 kilometers per hour. It suddenly applied brakes and derailed from the tracks.” It was in pole number 629/8 that the incident occurred, and four coaches of the train were completely derailed here. Subsequently, one after another, several carriages started derailing from the tracks. The train had arrived less than half an hour before the arrival of another passenger train (03210) on these tracks.

Updates…

18 Stranded Up-Down Trains Diverted From Their Route

• A total of 18 Up-Down trains were diverted from their routes. Patna-Varanasi, Varanasi-Patna, and Jan Shatabdi Express trains are canceled.
• Central Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey spoke with Central Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and provided sudden information. They have reached the incident site from Navgachh.
• NDRF teams from Bihar and SDRF teams from Bhojpur are sent for rescue operations.
• To transport the injured, more than 30 ambulances were sent from Patna, Buxar, and Ara.
• To transport the passengers from the accident site, two local trains are sent from Patna.

Hospitals on Alert in Patna-Ara-Buxar Region

Alert mode is being maintained in all major hospitals of Ara, Buxar, and Patna. Dr. Gopal Krishna Pal, Director of AIIMS Patna, said that in times of calamity and emergencies, everyone is being kept prepared. Operations will begin along with the arrival of the injured. Fifteen to twenty stretchers are kept ready. Deputy Chief Minister Tejasvi Yadav phoned the DM Rajkumar and received information about hospital preparations. Necessary guidance was given for the care of the injured.

Train Routes Altered

After the North-East Express accident, many trains on the Delhi-Hawda route have been halted at various places. This affected 18 trains, including Anand Bihar Madhupur Baidyanath Dham Express, Vikramshila (12368), New Barauni (15623), Bikaner Guwahati (15633), Garib Rath (22406), and Rajdhani (12310). All routes had to be changed. The Patna-Lokmanya Tilak Kurla Express (13201), Patna-Ahmedabad Azimabad Express (12948), and Patna-Bandra Superfast Express (22972) will be resumed on the route from Patna.

Bogies Don’t Run Together Due to LHB Coaches

The train’s speed at the time of the accident was almost 120 kilometers per hour. LHB coaches caused the train’s bogies not to run together. Otherwise, the accident could have been even more horrific, and there could have been a high casualty count.

Rescue Operations Begin by Locals After the Accident

After getting off the tracks, as the passengers reached the nearest village, they began to rescue the passengers. Due to darkness, it was quite challenging to locate people. People were taken out using torches. An hour later, the machinery’s team arrived at the scene, and villagers had already arranged for a generator. After this, the rescue work sped up significantly. NDRF and SDRF teams from Patna reached the site with the Railway Rescue Team at around 1:30 AM. The injured were taken out of the bogies and sent to the hospital. From Patna, two trains arrived at the accident site. Passengers who were unexpectedly stranded were taken to their destinations by these trains. Work is still underway to remove bogies from the tracks.