In a tragic accident on an unmanned railway crossing, at least three people were killed and over 50 injured on Friday when a passenger train rammed into an earth-cutting vehicle on its track in Kamrup district of Assam.
The public relation officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway Jayanta Sarma told this newspaper that four compartments of Bongaigaon-Guwahati Chilarai Passenger train got capsized. The driver and a helper of the earth-cutting machine were killed on the spot.
A passenger of the train was also killed and more than 50 wounded.
The injured passengers were rushed to the Mirza Public Health Centre from where the critically injured were referred to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital for treatment. Mr Sarma said that relief and rescue team of Northeast Frontier have also reached to spot and in coordination with local administration passengers were shifted to their respective destinations.
He said that initial investigation of incident site suggests that driver of the train used emergency break to save the earth-cutting vehicle leading to derailment and capsizing of the compartments of the passenger train.
Meanwhile, Northeast Frontier Railway has already started restoration of the railway track, which is expected to be completed by mid-night.
He said that railway is also running a passenger train on the route to help the stranded passengers.