On Jharkhand train accident, Mamata Banerjee targets BJP govt: ‘Nightmares every week! Is this governance?’

Jharkhand train accident: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee targeted the BJP-led central government over the Howrah- Mumbai Mail train accident that took two lives and left 20 people injured on Tuesday morning.

Calling it a “disastrous rail accident”, the TMC supremo asked, “Is this governance? This series of nightmares almost every week, this unending procession of deaths and injuries on railway tracks: for how long shall we tolerate this? Will there be no end to the callousness of Government of India?”

“Howrah- Mumbai mail derails in Chakradharpur division in Jharkhand today early morning, multiple deaths and huge number of injuries are the tragic consequences. My heart goes out to the bereaved families, condolences to the next of kin,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

Jharkhand MLA Kalpana Murmu Soren also expressed grief over the Jharkhand train accident and prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured.

“Got the sad news of the Mumbai Howrah Mail derailment this morning. I pray for everyone's safety and speedy recovery. A helpline has been started by the Saraikela Kharsawan district administration for information on relief and rescue operations,” she said.

Jharkhand train accident

Two people were killed and 20 injured when 18 coaches of the Mumbai-Howrah Mail derailed in Jharkhand's Seraikela-Kharsawan district early Tuesday, officials said. The incident happened at 3:45 AM near Badabamboo, about 80 km from Jamshedpur, under the Chakradharpur Division of South East Railway.

"Two persons were killed and 20 injured as 18 coaches of Howrah-Mumbai Mail derailed near Barabamboo. Rescue operations are on and an NDRF team is rushing to the spot," said DC West Singhbhum Kuldeep Chaudhary, who is camping at the accident site.

Following the accident, the South East Railway cancelled a few express and passenger trains on Tuesday, including 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabanji Ispat Express and 12021 Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express. Some other trains were either short-terminated or diverted owing to the accident near Barabamboo station.

It also issued helpline numbers: 022-22694040 for Mumbai, 08799982712 for Bhusawal, 7757912790 for Nagpur, 0657-2290324 for Tata, 06587-238072 for Chakradharpur, 0661-2501072 and 0661-2500244 for Rourkela and 06645-272530 for Jharsuguda, for Howrah 9433357920 and 033-26382217, and for Shalimar, are 7595074427 and 6295531471 and for Kharagpur, is 03222-293764.