Kolkata: Railway authorities blamed human error for the collision between Uttarbanga Express and Vananchal Express at the Sainthia station in Birbhum district early on Monday in which at least 63 passengers were killed and over 150 others injured.
Addressing a press conference in Kolkata on Monday evening Railway Board Chairman Vivek Sahay claimed that the driver of Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express did not apply the brakes and rammed into the rear of Vananchal Express which was pulling out of the Sainthia station.
"Human error could have caused the accident. No effort was made by the driver (of Uttarbanga Express) to stop the train," said Sahay.
Driver MC Dey and assistant driver NK Mandal of Uttarbanga Express, which collided with the Ranchi-bound train, were among the dead in the accident that took place just before 2 AM on Monday morning.
The guard of the Vananchal Express A Mukherjee also died in the mishap which was so severe that the roof and the sides of one of the compartments mounted the road overbridge across the tracks in the station, 191 kms from Kolkata, in Eastern Railway.
The Uttarbanga Express was headed to Sealdah when it crashed into the Vananchal Express. The maximum casualties were in the two unreserved bogies of the Vananchal Express which was deeply impacted by the collision.
Railways Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and employment to one member of each family of the dead.
Out of the nearly 150 injured, 40 are in a a critical condition while the bodies of 23 people have been identified.
But some questions remain unanswered: Why was the Uttarbanga Express speeding if it was a scheduled stop? Why were both trains on same track? Why did Vananchal Express make an unscheduled stop at the station?
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