New Delhi, June 17: The loco pilot of the goods train that collided into the Kanchenjunga Express passenger train in West Bengal's Darjeeling disregarded the signal" leading to the mishap on Monday morning in which at least eight people, including the pilot were killed, said Railway top official.

"The accident happened today morning. Kanchenjunga Express was travelling from Agartala to Sealdah. The train was hit in the rear end by a goods train which disregarded the signal," Jaya Varma Sinha Chairman & CEO Railway Board told ANI.

She said that the guard's compartment in the rear end of the passenger train was completely damaged. Two parcel wagons were in between the guard's rearmost coach and a general compartment, which helped to minimize injuries to passengers, the official said.

Apart from the loco pilot of the goods train, the guard of the passenger train was also killed in this morning's collision, the Railway Board CEO said.

"Rescue operation have been completed. The driver (Loco pilot) who disregarded the signal has died and also the guard of Kanchenjunga Express has lost his life. Help desks have been established at all railway stations along the Agartala- Sealdah route, " said Sinha.

NorthEast Frontier Railway CPRO Sabyasachi De said that the officials have information of eight deaths in the incident.

"Around 25 people have been injured and they have been shifted to the nearby hospital. They are non-fatal injuries. The rescue operation is going on a war footing. We are trying to finish the rescue operation as soon as possible. Senior officials have already reached the site. According to the preliminary information Kanchenjunga was hit from the rear by a goods train...We have information of 8 deaths," the CPRO De told ANI.

Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has left for Darjeeling to visit the accident site.

The accident took place at Ruidhasa near Rangapani station in the Katihar Railway Division ahead of New Jalpaiguri Junction at around 8:45 am today. The area falls in the Siliguri subdivision of Darjeeling district.

Kanchanjungha Express which runs between Silchar in Assam to Sealdah in Kolkata was on its way from Agartala in Tripura to Sealdah when the goods train hit it from behind, according to Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer - Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

Visuals from the site showed one of the bogies suspended in mid-air.

Teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Police and Army were involved in the rescue operation.

(ANI)

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