A Freight Train slammed into the rear of a stationary Passenger Train in the West Bengal state of India on Monday June 17, 2024. Authorities are advising at least a dozen people have been killed and at least 54 have been injured. It is unknown at this time the total number of people that was passengers in the train. A guard on the passenger train, and the freight train driver are among the dead.

The passenger train, run by Kanchanjunga Express. was enroute to the Capital of West Bengal, Kolkata. and was coming from the Northeastern state of Tripura.

Railway authorities are blaming the driver of the freight train for disregarding a signal. Several train cars and containers were thrown everywhere after the impact. Three of the train cars were the carriages that was carrying the passengers. Ropes and iron rods were used by rescuers to free one of the passenger carriages that was lodged under one of the freight train cars.

Rescue work is now complete, and crews are in the process of restoring traffic. Prime Minister Narendra Modi offered condolences on the loss of life in this train crash.

This train crash occurs just about a year after a signaling error caused a major train crash. 288 people were killed in that accident which occurred in state of Odisha India.