Kolkata-Sairang Express derails in Assam, injury reports differ

The Kolkata-Sairang Express derailed at Digaru railway station in Assam on November 11, with the locomotive and five coaches leaving the tracks. Northeast Frontier Railway said all passengers were safe and no injuries had been reported, but another report said several passengers were injured; that account did not provide a confirmed number or severity.

The derailment occurred at about 6:54 a.m. as Train No. 13125 was being received at Digaru to give precedence to another train, according to the railway. The railway said the locomotive pilot could not control the train’s speed. The cause has not been independently established in the reports, and a local resident’s mention of possible brake failure was unconfirmed.

Northeast Frontier Railway said it had started relief and rescue operations and sent senior officials, including its general manager, to the site. It also said passengers were being taken to their destinations on an alternate train. A railway spokesperson had earlier said there were no reports of casualties.

A local resident who went to the scene said he saw six derailed coaches and that houses were nearby. He told ANI that nobody nearby had been harmed. His account did...