250 killed as trains collide in WB

In one of the worst rail accidents in the country, at least 250 passengers were killed and more than 200 injured when the Awadh-Assam Express and the Brahmaputra Mail collided at Gaisal station in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district early today.

Chief Minister Jyoti Basu said so far 156 bodies had been extricated. ''This is one of the worst train accidents and the death toll is likely to be much more,'' Basu told the media.

Home Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said ''the toll would be much higher as four coaches of the two trains had rammed into each other leaving little chance of survival''.

Official sources said the toll could cross 400.

They said 11 coaches and two engines of the New Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Mail and the Guwahati-bound Awadh-Assam Express were badly damaged under the impact of the collision.

The sources said the accident occurred at around 0153 hours when the passengers were sleeping.

Senior North-East Frontier Railway and district officials had rushed to the site to supervise relief and rescue operations.

A medical relief train had also reached the site.

A Patna report quoting Inspector General of Railway Police Ashish Ranjan Sinha said six coaches of the 5610 Awadh-Assam Express and seven coaches of the 4005 Brahmputra Mail were badly damaged in the mishap.

Rest of the coaches of the two trains were partially damaged in the accident.

Railway Minister Nitish Kumar and West Bengal Municipal Affairs Minister Ashok Bhattacharya have rushed to the accident site.

Bhattacharjee said, ''Initially the state government was told that there was an explosion. But later it was found that it was a head-on collision between two trains,'' he added.

The injured had been admitted to New Jalpaiguri and Siliguri railway hospitals.

The North-Eastern Railway has opened inquiry offices at Gorakhpur, Chapra, Muzzafarpur, Samastipur and Barauni railway stations.

A railway spokesman said that inquiries about the accident victims could be made by dialing phone numbers 203149 at Gorakhpur, 22594 at Chapra, 266771, 266772 at Muzzafarpur, 20846 at Samastipur and 32130 at Barauni railway stations.

Meanwhile, President K R Narayanan has expressed shock at the tragic loss of lives in the mishap.

In his condolence message, Narayanan said, ''This unfortunate accident, one of the worst-ever in the country, highlights the crying need to improve rail safety measures for the benefit of the travelling public.''

He conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the families of the bereaved and wished speedy recovery to those injured.

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