Jharkhand train mishap: West Bengal cops issue 13 helpline numbers

Five each at Howrah and Sealdah GRPs, three at Kharagpur GRP

Kolkata: The West Bengal Police on Tuesday announced 13 helpline numbers at three GRPs in the State following the derailment of the Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Mail in Jharkhand, in which two persons have died and many were injured.

Of the 13 helpline numbers, five are at Howrah and Sealdah GRPs each, while three are at Kharagpur GRP. Two persons were killed and 50 others injured after 18 coaches of a train bound for Mumbai derailed in Jharkhand.

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The Howrah-CSMT Express (train number 12810) derailed between Rajkharsawan and Badabambo stations at around 4 am, 80 km from Jamshedpur in the Chakradharpur railway division of Jharkhand. Most of the passengers were sleeping at the time of the accident.

Suddenly, a loud noise and jolts were felt as several coaches derailed one after another. Panic ensued inside the train as people scrambled to save their lives. Many passengers sleeping on the upper berths fell, and luggage was scattered everywhere.

Anxious relatives of the passengers gathered at the Howrah station and were seeking information about the fate of their near ones travelling by the train.

Meanwhile, two long-distance trains — Howrah Barbil Jan Shatabdi Express and Kantabanji Ispat Express — which were supposed to depart from Howrah station on Tuesday morning, have been cancelled.

At the same time the departure time of a number trains have been rescheduled.

The route for several long-distance trains, both in the up and down sections, will be diverted.

The train operations on the Tatanagar-Chakradharpur section of the South Eastern Railway have been halted due to the accident.

Several trains have been cancelled, and some are being run on alternative routes.