At least five people were killed and 45 injured when 12 coaches of Bikaner-Guwahati Express train derailed and overturned near Dohomoni in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Thursday, officials said.
Visuals of the incident showed a number of coaches lying sideways down the elevated tracks as rescue workers were seen trying to extricate the passengers.
The accident occurred around 5 p.m. in an area under Alipurduar division of Northeast Frontier Railway, an NFR spokesperson said in Guwahati.
The accident occurred more than 90 km from Alipurduar Junction, he added.
"An accident relief train with a medical team is on way to the spot. We are awaiting further details," the spokesperson said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was in the middle of a meeting with chief ministers to review the COVID-19 situation, inquired West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee about the accident. Ms Banerjee, who had spoken to the Jalpaiguri district magistrate, briefed the the prime minister about the relief and rescue operations.
According to railway officials, since the accident occurred on the main line, all train movement towards Guwahati has been halted for the time being.
