Key Takeaways
- The Radhikapur Express engine caught fire after a sand‑laden truck collided with it at Farakka.
- Around 15 commuters suffered minor injuries and services were suspended temporarily.
- Fire‑fighting teams and local residents helped control the blaze before a replacement engine arrived.
Kolkata: The engine of the Up Radhikapur Express was destroyed in a fire after a sand laden truck accidentally came onto its track.
Some 15 commuters were wounded at the wee hours at Farakka in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district, official sources on Monday said.
The nature of the injury was minor, they added. The UP and Down trains on this section were suspended for some time from 01 30 hours until another engine came at the site and pulled the train for its destination.
The passenger train was bound for North Dinajpur in north Bengal.
The mishap happened at Ballarpur in Farakka when the sand laden truck whilst on up-wheel on an overbridge suddenly lost speed and rolled backward on the railway track as the Radhikapur Exp
was passing through this section, sources confirmed.
The driver of the Radhikapur Exp applied the emergency brake before the truck crashed on
the engine and in impact it caught fire.
Two fire fighting vehicles were deployed in the dark to douse the fire of the engine.
Local people also rushed to the spot to rescue the stranded commuters before an engine of the Eastern Railway arrived and pulled the train for its destination.
