Three people, including two children, were killed while five others were injured after a train collided with a vehicle carrying school children, at a manned crossing in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Friday morning.
A senior Murshidabad district police officer said, “There was a police accident where a train collided with a vehicle carrying school children at a level crossing. Our officers rushed to the spot. There are reports that a few people were killed and some others injured.”
“The accident occurred at around 6:41 am at level crossing gate No. 24A/2 on Katwa-Azhimganj section when train No. 53054 Nimtita-Katwa collided with a Tata Sumo school truck carrying children to Royal Academy School and a bike. The level crossing was closed for the passage of trains in both directions. After train No. 13431 passed in the upstream direction, the gate and school were opened,” a statement issued by the railways said. The truck entered the crossing where it was hit by the approaching Namtita-Katwa passenger train.
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A local resident told the media: “The crossing gates were closed when the train was scheduled to pass. After the train passed, a guard opened the door. The billiard car entered the tracks. But suddenly another passenger train came and collided with the billiard car.”
Senior railway officials, members of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the DRC government and the local civil administration arrived at the site to assess the situation. Additional RPF personnel were dispatched to assist with rescue operations and crowd management, while district police were also present. Efforts are underway to clear the site and restore normal life. The railway authorities opened an investigation into the accident.
