Agartala-Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak Express derails in Assam; no casualties (Ld)

Guwahati/Agartala, Oct 17 (IANS) A total of six coaches besides the engine and the power car of the Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express derailed on Thursday at Dibalong in Assam's Dima Hasao district, an official said, adding no casualties, however, were reported.

The derailment took place in the Lumding Division of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

NFR officials said that some people sustained minor injuries. One of them was admitted to a hospital.

However, no casualties or major injuries have been reported, the officials said.

The officials said that the Mumbai-bound Agartala-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Express left Agartala station on Thursday morning.

Six coaches, the power car and the engine, went off track in Dibalong at around 4 p.m.

Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of the NFR Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that an accident relief train and accident relief medical train have already left for the site from Lumding along with senior officials of the Lumding Division to supervise the rescue and restoration works.

Meanwhile, the movement of trains on the Lumding-Badarpur single line section has been suspended.

The CPRO said that as a result of the derailment, many trains were cancelled, short terminated and rescheduled.

The cancelled trains include Guwahati-New Jalpaiguri Special train, Rangiya-Silchar-Rangiya Express, New Jalpaiguri-Guwahati Special train and Silchar-Guwahati-Silchar Express.

According to railway officials, due to the derailment of coaches, train services between Manipur, southern Assam, Tripura and Mizoram will be affected on Thursday and Friday.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and his Tripura counterpart Manik Saha, who are away from their states to attend the NDA Chief Ministers' conclave in Chandigarh, expressed their happiness as no fatalities occurred in the train mishap.

“Eight coaches of Train 12520 Agartala--LTT Express derailed at Dibalong station near Lumding at 15:55 Hrs today. There has been no major casualty or injury and all passengers are safe. We are coordinating railway authorities and relief trains will shortly reach the site,” Sarma wrote on X.

Tripura CM said in a post on his X handle: "Relieved to hear all passengers of Lokmanya Tilak Express are safe after some compartments derailed. Thankfully, low speed minimized impact & no injuries were reported, as confirmed by NF Railway's General Manager."

Many express and local trains connecting Manipur, southern Assam, Tripura and Mizoram pass through the single track of the Lumding-Badarpur Hill section located in the mountainous Dima Hasao district.

People of southern Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur bear the brunt of floods during monsoon every year while the railway tracks, stations and other infrastructure get damaged due to flooding and landslides during the four-month-long monsoon, lasting from June to September.

--IANS

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