India: Train Collision in West Bengal Kills at Least 15

A freight train collided with the rear of a stationary passenger train in West Bengal, India on Monday, resulting in a deadly accident, Reuters reported yesterday.

The officials confirmed that the crash killed at least 15 people and injured dozens more.

The goods train hit the Kanchanjunga Express traveling from Tripura to Kolkata, derailing three carriages of the passenger train. Rescue teams worked to free one carriage that had been swept upwards and lodged on the freight train.

Railway authorities blamed the accident on driver error, stating the freight train driver disregarded a signal.

The deadly collision comes just over a year after another major rail crash in the neighboring state of Odisha that claimed over 280 lives.

Opposition parties criticised Modi’s government for its record on rail safety.