Rly tragedy: Death toll rises to 11, services ‘limp back to normalcy’

Siliguri: The death of a six-year-old girl on Tuesday morning took the toll in the Kanchanjungha Express tragedy to 11, even as her parents remained admitted at the North Bengal Medical College and Hospital (NBMCH) battling for their lives.

The victim, Sneha Mondal, was admitted to the hospital in a “critical condition” on Monday following the accident involving the Sealdah-bound Dn Kanchanjungha Express and a goods train which claimed at least 10 other lives.

“The girl suffered fractures in her legs and also had liver and spleen injuries. She succumbed while undergoing treatment,” Dr Sandip Sengupta, NBMCH’s dean of student affairs, stated.

Shyamal Mondal, her uncle, arrived at the NBMCH on Tuesday, to receive her body.

The doctor added: “Other injured patients are stable. Four surgeries have been conducted so far. Currently, 35 injured are undergoing treatment at the hospital. Out of the 35, three are at the Trauma Care Unit. Multidisciplinary board has been formed.”Meanwhile, the body of a woman has been identified as Beauti Begum. She was a resident of Itachanda Road in Burdwan.

Another unidentified body of a man was later identified as Arjun Ram, from Gowalpukur. He was returning home from Silchar, Assam. Rajkumar Battabyal, a BSF personnel injured in the accident, was released from NBMCH on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, train services on both the up and down lines at Rangapani near the New Jalpaiguri station were fully restored on Tuesday afternoon, railway authorities stated.

“Electrical traction was restored at the accident site and trains with electric locomotives have started plying on the stretch,” Divisional Railway Manager of Katihar S Kumar said. Destiny also played a cruel role for 31-year-old Subhajit Mali, a resident of Ballygunge who perished in the accident.

At the request of his daughter, he boarded the Express train to reach home to celebrate her birthday. As fate would have it, this was the last ride he would ever take. He went to Guwahati for work and was set to return two days later, but his eight-year-old daughter kept coaxing him to be present at her birthday celebrations on Tuesday. On Monday, he had boarded the ill-fated train to be home in time. “He left behind his 1-year-old boy, 8-year-old daughter and wife. We are speechless. I have lost my brother,” said Surajit Mandal, brother of the deceased. His daughter is in a state of shock since she heard the news of his demise.