Passengers Share Harrowing Experience After Kolkata-Sairang Express Derails

Guwahati, November 11 (Daily Kiran) : The Kolkata-Sairang Express experienced a serious incident on Wednesday morning when six of its carriages derailed near Guwahati. The accident occurred around 7 a.m. as the train was en route from Kolkata to Sairang. Fortunately, while several passengers sustained injuries, a more catastrophic disaster was averted.

One passenger described the moment of the derailment, stating, “We felt a sudden jolt at around 7 a.m. After stepping outside to check, we realized the train had gone off the tracks. It was supposed to be on the main line but ended up on a loop line, which caused the derailment when the tracks ended.”

This passenger suggested that the station master might bear some responsibility. “The train must have received a signal to proceed, but it never reached the main line. That’s why it derailed. A major disaster was narrowly avoided. Many people were injured, and we suffered minor injuries because we were seated towards the front. Those who were more seriously hurt were taken to the hospital. We have been told that another train is on the way, but there has been no concrete arrangement yet.”

Misti Bhattacharya, another traveler from Silchar, shared her shock. “I was returning from a pilgrimage in Prayagraj. The sudden jolt frightened us all. Thankfully, we are safe, which I believe is due to divine intervention. After the incident, we saw that the carriage near the engine had derailed.”

She expressed gratitude towards the railway for their prompt response. “They have provided us with biscuits, cake, and bottled water. We’ve been instructed to wait on platform number 2 for another train.”

Another passenger, Sanjay Kumar Bharti, traveling with his wife from Tarakeshwar, noted the incident’s timing. “We were heading to New Haflong when the train derailed about 30 kilometers before Guwahati. If the train had been going faster, the damage could have been much worse. Fortunately, it was traveling at about 30 kilometers per hour at the time.”

According to railway officials, the train derailed at 6:54 a.m. as it was making its way from Sairang in Mizoram to Kolkata. Senior officials from the Northeast Frontier Railway arrived promptly to initiate rescue and relief operations.