A loud sound near Digaru station in Assam, passengers jolted from their sleep, repeated falls inside the coach, doors that would not open, and anxious moments before the train finally came to a halt.
Those were the terrifying minutes experienced by passengers on the Kolkata-Sairang Express after five coaches and the engine derailed near Guwahati in Assam on Wednesday morning.
Photo Credit: PTI
Recounting the incident, the train's pantry car manager said passengers were asleep when the derailment occurred.
According to the pantry car manager, the journey had been smooth until the train left Guwahati after a halt there. As the train approached Digaru station, it slowed slightly. Moments after crossing the platform, passengers heard an unusual sound.
He said, "We were asleep around 5:00 am today. Everything was fine till Guwahati, the train halted there. It resumed the journey from there. The speed was good. When the train arrived at Digaru Station, it slowed down a little. When it crossed the platform at the station, a sound was heard. We don't know what that sound was."
He said the engine appeared to derail just a few metres later, but the train continued moving for nearly a kilometre before eventually stopping. The sudden movement inside the coach caused panic among passengers, with many struggling to understand what had happened as the train kept moving.
He added, "Barely a few metres ahead, I felt the engine derail. We moved for another kilometre in that derailed state. I fell down my seat thrice. We could not open the gate. We were all anxious. After 10 minutes, the train stopped..."
A spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) said there were no immediate reports of fatalities or injuries. "All passengers are safe and no injuries to anyone," the spokesperson said.
According to the NFR spokesperson, the derailment occurred when the train was being received at Digaru station and the loco pilot gave precedence to another train but could not control the speed. "This resulted in an unfortunate incident of derailment, in which the locomotive along with 5 coaches derailed," the spokesperson said.
While railway officials said there were no reports of injuries, some eyewitnesses claimed that several people were injured.
Photo Credit: PTI
The NFR said passengers were being taken to their destinations by an alternative train. A recovery train was also sent to the site for rescue operations and to clear the tracks.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said the state government was working closely with the Ministry of Railways following the derailment of the Kolkata-Sairang Express.
In a post on X, Sarma said all passengers were safe, while four people had sustained minor injuries and were receiving medical care.
He further stated that basic necessities had been provided to all stranded passengers and an alternative train had been arranged to facilitate their onward journey.
"All stranded passengers have been provided with basic necessities and alternative travel train has been arranged for the journey," he added.