Mysuru-Darbhanga train accident: ‘How many more families must be destroyed before govt wakes up,’ says Rahul Gandhi | India News

“The Mysuru-Darbhanga train accident mirrors the horrific Balasore accident—a passenger train colliding with a stationary goods train. Despite many lives lost in numerous accidents, no lessons are learned. Accountability starts at the top. How many more families must be destroyed before this government wakes up?” Gandhi posted on X.

On Friday late evening, at least 12 coaches of the Bagmati Express derailed after it collided with a stationary goods train in Kavaraipettai, Tamil Nadu. While no fatalities were reported, nine people were injured in the accident, according to a railway official. A high level enquiry has been ordered by the Railways into the accident, the chief public relations officer (CPRO) of the Southern Railways said on Saturday.

Reacting to the incident, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also criticised the government saying that neither any accountabiliy was being fixed nor any action was being taken for such incidents.

“Train accidents have become so common in the country that despite occurring one after another, neither any accountability is being fixed by the government nor any action is being taken,” she said in a post on her WhatsApp channel.

“Crores of common people of the country are forced to travel in trains running on the wheels of fear and chaos, risking their lives because the government has turned its back on the responsibility of safe train travel,” she added.

“Once again, an accident like Balasore has happened with the Mysore-Darbhanga Express in Tamil Nadu. When will this series going on for months stop? When will accountability be fixed?” she asked.

The crash involving the Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, the SMVT Bengaluru-Howrah Express and a goods train near Balasore in Odisha in June 2023 was one of the worst train accidents in recent times, which left 291 people dead and over 1,000 injured.

Mysuru-Darbhanga train accident in Tamil Nadu:

Train no. 12578, the Mysuru-Darbhanga Express, was travelling from Mysuru to Darbhanga in Bihar at 75 km/h when it struck the stationary goods train in a loop line at Kavaraipettai, approximately 42 km from Chennai, on Friday evening.

“This train passed Ponneri railway station at 8:27 PM and was given a green signal to run through the next station. However, while entering Kavaraipettai station, the train crew experienced a heavy jerk and instead of going into the main line, it entered the loop line at 75 km/h and hit the stationary goods train,” explained Manjunath Kanamadi, CPRO, South Western Railway.

The collision caused a fire in the parcel van attached to the train engine, which was later extinguished by the fire brigade. While the General Manager of Southern Railway, RN Singh, noted that seven to eight passengers were injured, he confirmed that there were no fatalities.

“The train was not scheduled to stop here; it was meant to pass through the station. Green signals were provided, and the driver was following them correctly. However, the train should have taken the main line; instead, it entered the loop line, which led to the error. Investigations are ongoing,” Singh said.
Tamil Nadu Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin expressed shock at the incident and stated that the government responded quickly with rescue and relief efforts. He also met with injured passengers at the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital in Chennai.

Passengers were later transferred to a special train heading to Darbhanga early Saturday morning.

“After all the passengers arrived, they were boarded onto a special train to Darbhanga via Arakkonam, Renigunta, and Gudur. They were provided with food packets and water, and the special train departed at 4:45 AM,” a press release by the railways stated.

Visuals from the site on Saturday morning showed rescue operations in progress, with derailed coaches being removed in Thiruvallur.

As a result of the accident, eight trains—including the Chennai-New Delhi Express, Alleppey-Dhanbad Express, Ernakulam-Tata Express, Tiruchirapalli-Howrah Express, Ramagundam-Secunderabad Special, Coimbatore-Dhanbad Express Special, Dhanbad-Alappuzha Express, and Jabalpur-Madurai Express—were diverted. Southern Railway has also rescheduled all trains passing through this section.