Explained: Series of train accidents in 2024 raise concern
The year 2024 has been marred by a string of unfortunate incidents for the Indian Railways, with seven major accidents reported in just the first half. Four of these incidents were derailments, causing significant concern. The most recent derailment occurred on Tuesday morning when 18 coaches of the Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district, resulting in two fatalities and injuries to 20 passengers.
Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailment
The derailment took place near Badabamboo, approximately 80km from Jamshedpur, under the jurisdiction of the Chakradharpur Division of South East Railway. A senior SER official stated, "Eighteen coaches of the Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailed near Badabamboo. Two passengers were killed and 20 were injured in the accident." The injured passengers received initial medical treatment in Badabamboo and are currently being transported to Chakradharpur for further care.
Previous derailments
This latest derailment follows another incident involving a goods train in Odisha's Bhubaneswar on July 29. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) reported that the mishap occurred at 1.35 am in the railway yard at Mancheswar station, causing no casualties or property damage. However, it did result in the cancellation and rescheduling of several trains, adding to the inconvenience for passengers.
Incidents reported in July
Earlier in July, several coaches of the Chandigarh-Dibrugarh Express derailed between Motiganj and Jhulahi railway stations in Uttar Pradesh's Gonda district. This accident resulted in at least four deaths and approximately 30 injuries. Following this incident, a high-level probe was ordered by the Central government. On July 14, a passenger train collided with two cars at Khardah Railway Station in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas, narrowly avoiding a major accident.
10 deaths due to accidents in June
In another incident in June, a goods train collided with the Kanchenjunga Express between Rangapani and Chattar Hat stations in West Bengal. This accident resulted in at least 10 deaths, including the loco pilot of the goods train and the train manager of the express train. Nearly 50 passengers were injured in this collision, further highlighting the urgent need for improved railway safety measures across India.
