West Bengal train accident death toll rises to 60

Kolkata, Jul 19: The death toll in the West Bengal train accident has gone up from 49 to 60 while over 90 passengers are said to have sustained injuries.

“A total of 60 persons, including three railway employees, have lost their lives in the accident when three rear coaches including one luggage van and two unreserved general second class coaches of the Vananchal Express were affected," an Eastern Railway said in a statement.

The three railway employees killed in the mishap are driver M C Dey, assistant driver NK Mandal of the Uttarbanga Express and the guard of the Vananchal Express A Mukherjee.

The accident took place at around 2 am on Monday, Jul 19 when the Sealdah-bound passenger train, Uttarbanga Express rammed into another passenger train Vananchal Express.

Earlier the death toll was put up at 49 while the number of injured was estimated to be between 130 to 150.

While Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee has expressed "some doubts" on the cause of the mishap, Eastern Railway General Manager V N Tripathi has not ruled out sabotage.

OneIndia News