Bengal: Three killed as train hits school van at railway crossing
The crossing was reopened even though a local train was scheduled to pass through around the time of the accident, a police officer said.
Two children and a man were killed after a train collided with a school van at a railway level crossing in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Friday morning, a railway official was quoted as saying by ANI.
The accident took place around 7 am near Karna Subarna railway station. The level crossing had been closed for an express train and was reopened after it passed, even though the Nimtita-Katwa local train was scheduled to pass shortly afterwards, The Indian Express quoted an unidentified police officer as saying.
The van driver and a man on a bicycle attempted to cross the tracks. The passenger train then struck the van.
The gateman at the level crossing has been arrested, Eastern Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Shibram Manjhi told ANI. A 10-member railway team also arrived at the site to investigate the accident, he added.
The impact of the accident crushed the van and flung it off the tracks. The schoolchildren from Gobindpur village and a cyclist, identified as 50-year-old Jamshed Sheikh, died on the spot, The Indian Express reported. Several others were reportedly injured.
Manjhi told ANI that a compensation of Rs 10 lakh had been announced for the families of those killed.
Hundreds of residents gathered at the crossing to rescue the persons involved in the accident.
Edited by Sneha.
