Howrah-Mumbai mail derailed | Here's a list of 5 major train accidents this year
Railways accidents have become a frequent issue in 2024, with 5 major mishaps occurring in 7 months, the latest being the Howrah-Mumbai mail.
The Howrah-Mumbai Mail is the recent addition to a growing list of train derailments and accidents this year. On Tueday, the passenger train collided with another derailed goods carrier, leading to two deaths and over 20 people injured. This is the third train accident in in the country in the last two months alone and sixth this year.
Union minister of railways Ashwini Vaishnaw has been facing the Opposition attacks over the multiple rail accidents since last year.
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In his post-budget remarks in Lok Sabha, Ashwini Vaishnaw assured that safety was at the top of his priorities. He added that ₹1,08,795 crore out of the ministry's ₹2,62,200 allocation would be dedicated towards increased safety.
Here's a list of 5 other major train accidents in India in 2024:
1. Jamtara train accident - February 28, 2024
At the beginning of the year, passengers of the Anga Express got down from the train while it had stopped and were run over by a local train.
The incident which took place in the Jamtara district of Jharkhand near Kaljariya railway crossing, took two lives and left several others injured.
The chain on train 12254 was pulled, leading to stop, when a few passengers got down. There were rumours of a fire onboard, which may have led to the passengers leaving the train before the station arrived.
2. Palghar goods carrier derailment - March 29, 2024
A goods train derailed near Palghar station, Maharashtra and blocked a significant amount of rail traffic between Surat and Mumbai, two major hubs.
The fully loaded train, which was moving at moderate speed, derailed on the only main route from Mumbai to Surat, stranding several trains down the line.
A rail fracture was discovered a few metres away from the train but officials were unsure about whether the derailment caused the fracture or vice versa.
3. Sirhind freight train accident - June 2, 2024
Eight coaches of a goods carrier collided with a freight train near Sirhind 59 trains were affected and 51 of them had to be diverted due to the derailment.
3 passengers on the freight train suffered minor injuries, while the pilot and assistant pilot of the goods carrier were severely injured.
4. Kanchanjunga Express accident - June 17, 2024
A goods train collided with the passenger train Agartala-Kanchanjunga Express near Rangapani railway station in Darjeeling district, leading to the death of at least nine people and close to 41 people injured.
The collision also ignited political controversy, as the signalling system of the rails were discussed to be faulty, due to which the freight train rammed into the Kanchanjunga Express. The drivers of both the trains did not survive the crash.
Some rail authorities claimed that the loco pilot was driving at a higher speed, which led to immense backlash from railway unions, who said that the ministry was passing on the blame on the driver before an inquiry.
5. Chandigarh-Dibrugarh train derailment - July 18, 2024
12 coaches of the Dibrugarh-Chandigarh Express derailed in the Gonda district of Uttar Pradesh, leading to at least four people dead and 31 injured.
Eight coaches of the train 15904 derailed between Motiganj and Jhilahi stations, while the rest came off farther ahead. A five member team probed the accident and stated that the derailment had most likely taken place due to the improper fastening of the rail tracks.
The report by the team also pointed out that a senior engineer had noted an IMR (immediate removal) defect in the rail tracks.
