Bengal Train Accident: Death toll rises to 9 after a 6-year-old Succumbs to her Injuries

The death toll of the Bengal train accident rose to 9 on Tuesday, after a six-year-old girl succumbed to her injuries at the North Bengal Medical College. The accident occurred as a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga near Rangapani, 10 km south of New Jalpaiguri in Darjeeling district, dislodging three of its rear bogies, on Monday morning. Efforts for site restoration continued through the night, with successful test runs conducted to ensure safety. Normal train operations on both the 'up' and 'down' sections resumed following repairs.

"37 patients were admitted. Two of them, whose condition was not so bad, went home on their own. Four patients underwent surgery and out of them, we could not save a 6-year-old baby girl. She had injuries and fractures. She succumbed,” said Dr Sandip Kumar Sengupta, Dean of Student Affairs, at North Bengal Medical College. Both parents of the 6-year-old are also admitted to separate wards of the same hospital, undergoing treatment.

The ill-fated Kanchanjunga Express eventually reached Kolkata's Sealdah station by 3:15 am on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed deep sadness over the incident, offering condolences and announcing financial assistance from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund. He assured that rescue operations were actively assisting those affected. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also conveyed shock and concern, pledging emergency response efforts. She visited the accident site and met with the victims admitted to the North Bengal Medical College. Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also visited the accident site to take stock of the ground situation.