DUMKA: Two loco pilots were killed and four other persons sustained injuries following a head-on collision between two good trains in Sahibganj district early on Tuesday morning. One of the deceased loco pilots was set to retire on Tuesday itself and it was his last ride.
While a probe is on to find out the cause of the accident, preliminary reports indicated that both the deceased loco pilots were at fault.
The trains and the tracks are owned, operated and managed by the NTPC. No passenger train movement was affected as the accident happened on the dedicated coal route.
Officials said the incident occurred on the railway track at the NTPC gate at Bhognadih in Barhait along the Lalmatiya-Farakka MGR line under the Barhait police station area when a coal-laden train hit another stationary train at about 3.30 am.
The collision was so intense that both engines derailed along with a few wagons. A fire also broke out in the moving train, which was heading for Farakka carrying coal from the ECL’s Rajmahal coal project based in Lalmatiya (Godda district). The Rajmahal coal project feeds NTPC power stations at Farakka (Bengal) and Kahalgaon (Bihar)
The fire was doused by fire tenders which were rushed to the spot from the Sahibganj district headquarters. While the deceased were identified as Ambuj Mahto of Bokaro and Kaleshwar Mal from West Bengal, the injured were yet to be identified and they were shifted to the Barhait-based govt health centre.
Senior officials of the NTPC and railways, along with those from the local administration, arrived at the site soon after receiving information about the accident.
Speaking to the TOI, Sahibganj DC Hemant Sati said, “Based on the accounts from the site, the collision took place due to the negligence of both loco pilots. However, an investigation is underway by the railway officials to ascertain the reason behind the collision along the Lalmatiya-Farakka MGR line, which is dedicated to the transportation of coal from the Lalmatiya-based Rajmahal coal project of the ECL.”
Eastern Railways spokesperson Kausik Mitra said, “The goods trains and the tracks belong to the NTPC. It has nothing to do with the railways.”
In a statement, the railways also said, “The NTPC has sought help from the Malda railway division of Eastern Railways and requested a 140-tonne crane for the rescue and restoration work. It has been arranged from Sahibganj. Railways is extending all possible help to the NTPC authorities for restoration of the railway line.”
A statement from NTPC’s Farakka super thermal power station said the collision took place around 33 km from Farakka town of West Bengal. A team of officials from the power station also rushed to the site to coordinate with the local authorities, it said. “The four injured were later referred to a healthcare facility in Malda for advanced treatment,” the statement said, adding that one severely injured person has been shifted to a medical facility in Kolkata.
“While we are working closely with local authorities for the early restoration of the MGR operation, an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident,” it said.
The power station’s corporate communication executive Anam Bukhari said the deceased, Kaleswar, was employed with BS Enterprises, an NTPC outsourcing company and was set to retire on April 1. “Senior NTPC officials are in constant touch with family members of both the deceased loco pilots and those of the injured. They will be suitably compensated,” she said.
(With inputs from PTI)
