Murshidabad: Four people, including three students, died on the spot in a horrific train accident that took place in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district on Friday morning.
The accident occurred when the vehicle was crossing the railway tracks at a level-crossing gate around 7 am when it collided with a local train, an official said.
A passenger train running on the level crossing hit a van carrying school children and a cyclist. The accident took place on Friday morning at a level crossing between Karnasubarna and Gobindapur railway stations under Berhampore police station limits.
Eyewitnesses said that the crossing gate was open when the passenger train, which was running on the Nimtita-Katwa route, was approaching. The school van and the cyclist were trying to cross the tracks due to the absence of a gate when the speeding train hit them.
The school van was completely crushed in the impact of the accident, killing two students and another on the spot. At least five more students were seriously injured in the incident.
An official said that a 10-member team has been sent to the spot to investigate the cause of the accident. He said that the team will investigate why the level crossing gate was open when the train was approaching, he said. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has announced a compensation of Rs 10 lakh each to the families of the deceased, the official informed.
As soon as the accident occurred, locals and police carried out rescue operations and admitted the injured to the Karnasubarna Block Hospital.