18 Coaches of Mumbai Express Derail in Jharkhand, 2 Dead

18 Coaches of Mumbai-Bound Express Derail in Jharkhand: 2 Dead and Several Injured

In a tragic incident early Tuesday morning, 18 coaches of the Howrah-CSMT Express derailed in Jharkhand after a collision with a goods train. The accident, which occurred at around 3:45 AM near Bara Bambu village, has resulted in two fatalities and several injuries.

Details of the Derailment and Rescue Operations

The Howrah-CSMT Express, which was traveling from Howrah to Mumbai, derailed near Barabamboo station in the Chakradharpur division. According to South Eastern Railways (SER) spokesperson Om Prakash Charan, the train had 22 coaches, including 16 passenger coaches, one power car, and one pantry car.

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Emergency services rushed to the scene, with ambulances and rescue teams arriving promptly. Six passengers were injured and received initial medical treatment at Barabamboo before being transferred to Chakradharpur for further care.

Train Services Affected and Emergency Contact Numbers

Following the derailment, several trains have been cancelled, short-terminated, or diverted. The affected services include:

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Cancelled Trains: Howrah-Kantabanji Ispat Express (22861), Kharagpur-Dhanbad Express, and Howrah-Barbil Express.
Diverted: South Bihar Express (13288).
Short-Terminated: Asansol Tata Memu Pass Special Train (08173).

Indian Railways has issued emergency contact numbers for affected passengers:

Tatanagar: 06572290324
Chakradharpur: 06587 238072
Rourkela: 06612501072, 06612500244
Howrah: 9433357920, 03326382217
Ranchi: 0651-27-87115
HWH Help Desk: 033-26382217, 9433357920

Political Reaction and Governance Questions

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee expressed her condolences to the victims’ families and criticized the government’s handling of railway safety. In her social media post, she questioned the efficacy of the governance in preventing such accidents and urged for a review of safety measures.

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“This series of nightmares almost every week, this unending procession of deaths and injuries on railway tracks: for how long shall we tolerate this?” she said.