RJD leader Misa Bharti condoles loss of lives in Kanchanjunga Express train accident

She said, "I offer my condolences to the individuals who lost their lives in this tragic incident. I also pray for the speedy recovery of the injured in the accident."

She further urged for immediate actions and inquiry into the incident and stated, "Immediate action should be taken in such cases and an investigation should be carried out to ascertain the cause."

Demanding the resignation of Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, Misa Bharti asserted, "The responsibility for this incident should be taken by the Railway Minister and he should immediately resign from the post."

As many as eight people lost their lives and almost 30 are injured in the tragic train mishap that occurred after a goods train collided with the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express on Monday morning near New Jalpaiguri, a senior North Frontier Railway (NFR) official said.

The accident took place at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station in the Katihar Railway Division ahead of New Jalpaiguri Junction at around 8:45 am today. The area falls in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district.

Kanchanjungha Express which runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata was on its way from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah when the goods train hit it from behind, according to Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer - Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

A wagon of the Kanchenjunga Express train was suspended in the air after a goods train rammed into it at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station under the Siliguri subdivision in the Darjeeling district.

Meanwhile, later in the day, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw inspected the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Darjeeling district and said that the rescue operation had been completed.

"Right now our focus is on restoration. This is the main line. The rescue operation has been completed. This is not the time for politics. I will also meet the injured," Vaishnaw told reporters.

The rescue efforts to extricate trapped passengers are ongoing. Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and police are present at the Kanchenjunga Express train accident site in Ruidhasa in the Darjeeling district of West Bengal. (ANI)