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Two people lost their lives and 20 were injured when 18 coaches of the Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district early on Tuesday, officials reported. The derailment occurred at 3:45 AM near Barabamboo, approximately 80 km from Jamshedpur, the Chakradharpur Division of the South Eastern Railway (SER).
West Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Kuldeep Chaudhary, who is present at the accident site, stated, "Two persons were killed and 20 injured as 18 coaches of Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed near Barabamboo. Rescue operations are on and an NDRF team is rushing to the spot." He also mentioned that the Howrah-Mumbai train collided with a stationary goods train.
Helpline Numbers
Mumbai: 022-22694040
Bhusawal: 08799982712
Nagpur: 7757912790
Tata: 0657-2290324
Chakradharpur: 06587-238072
Rourkela: 0661-2501072 and 0661-2500244
Jharsuguda: 06645-272530
Howrah: 9433357920 and 033-26382217
Shalimar: 7595074427 and 6295531471
Kharagpur: 03222-293764
Relief Operations Underway
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has instructed officials to speed up relief efforts and assist those injured. Medical aid was provided to passengers in Barabamboo before they were transported to Chakradharpur for further treatment. A relief train has arrived to evacuate passengers to nearby Chakradharpur railway station, and buses are also being arranged for their transportation.
Seraikela-Kharsawan Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar Lunayat confirmed that rescue operations are being conducted swiftly. Several trains on this route have been cancelled or diverted due to the accident.
Details of the Incident
The accident site is located near the border between West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts. SER spokesperson Om Prakash Charan noted that another goods train had derailed nearby, but it remains unclear if both incidents happened simultaneously. The Howrah-Mumbai Mail had departed from Howrah on Monday night before meeting with the accident early Tuesday morning.
An official from the local administration mentioned that the incident occurred in Potobeda within Kharsawan block. The assessment of injuries is ongoing.
Train Services Affected
The SER has cancelled several express and passenger trains due to this accident. These include the 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabanji Ispat Express and 12021 Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express. Other trains have been either short-terminated or rerouted around Barabamboo station.
The affected train consisted of 22 coaches in total; out of these, 16 were passenger coaches while one was a power car and another a pantry car. The rescue operation continues as authorities work tirelessly to manage the situation.
A senior SER official stated that around 80 passengers have already been transported to Chakradharpur railway station by bus. The exact cause of the derailment is still under investigation as officials strive to restore normalcy on this crucial railway route.
With Inputs from PTI.
