A view of the First Aid Booth set up by the Lumding Division of NFR at the railway station, along with scenes capturing medical staff assisting passengers on the platform and onboard trains. (Photo Courtesy: NFR)
Maligaon, November 13 (MExN): The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) evacuated all passengers of the derailed Kolkata-Sairang Express and arranged their onward transportation within four hours of the incident at Digaru Railway Station in Assam, officials said on Friday.
A Relief Special train was arranged to transport passengers of Train No. 13125 Kolkata-Sairang Express towards Sairang. All stranded passengers were accommodated in the special train, which departed from Digaru at 11.30 am on November 11, the NFR said in a statement.
Around 1,200 bottles of drinking water, along with tea and biscuits, were arranged at the accident site to meet passengers' immediate needs. Approximately 1,200 breakfast packets were also distributed, while the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) arranged around 1,800 lunch packets and drinking water packets.
Passengers travelling by the Relief Special were provided drinking water, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food and drinking water were also distributed to passengers stranded aboard Train No. 14620 at Kamakhya Railway Station.
Helpline numbers were activated across all five NFR divisions, while a dedicated medical assistance booth was set up at Lumding station for passengers arriving by the Relief Special.
Railway officials and staff coordinated the relief arrangements and attended to passengers' requirements during the operation. Passengers of the affected train appreciated the prompt assistance extended by the railway authorities, the statement said.
The derailment occurred at around 6.54 am on November 11 when the Kolkata-Sairang Express was entering the loop line at Digaru to give precedence to another train. The locomotive and five coaches of the 22-coach train derailed.
The train was carrying approximately 782 passengers, of whom around 216 were travelling in the affected coaches. No casualties or major injuries were reported.
Following the incident, some train services were cancelled, short-terminated or regulated. However, NFR undertook restoration work and resumed train movement on both the UP and DOWN lines on the same day.
Senior railway officials, including the NFR General Manager, visited the site to supervise relief and restoration operations and review the situation.
A detailed investigation has been initiated to establish the circumstances leading to the derailment. Preliminary examination of the affected locomotive and coaches, as well as the relevant railway officials, is underway. An investigation team comprising experts from different fields has also been constituted.
The exact cause of the derailment will be determined after the investigation and examination of its findings, the statement added.
NFR said it remained committed to ensuring passenger safety, timely relief and medical assistance, while minimising inconvenience during unforeseen situations.
