Shillong Oct 12: The state government has activated helpline number 1800-345-3644 for citizens of Meghalaya who may require assistance due to the derailment of the Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express in Bihar’s Buxar district.
An official statement said the citizens of the state can call the helpline number 1800-345-3644 of DIPR for any assistance they may need related to the incident.
Further, in case of emergency, citizens can contact K Thabah, Meghalaya House Guwahati – 7896167945, I Kharmon, District Transport Officer, Ri-Bhoi District – 887003923, Richie Momin – 9615208771 and Hubert Nongbri – 7005627065 for coordination and redressal of issues.
CM concerned
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma, expressed concern over the incident, stating, “I have spoken with Railway Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw regarding the unfortunate Northeast Express train derailment at Buxar. Regrettably, we have lost five passengers, and 37 passengers with critical injuries are currently receiving medical care at AIIMS Patna. An alternative train has been arranged to transport passengers to Assam since early this morning. We are diligently working to ascertain whether any Meghalayans are among the 37 severely injured individuals. State officials maintain continuous contact to provide updates on the situation. We remain in close coordination with railway authorities and are closely monitoring the situation.
Meghalaya citizens seeking assistance are encouraged to reach out to State authorities for support during this challenging time.
Support available on the helpline No. 18003453644”.
10 trains cancelled
Several coaches of 12506 Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express derailed near the Raghunathpur station in Bihar’s Buxar district on Wednesday, a UNI report said.
The train, which started from Anand Vihar Terminus in Delhi, was on its way to Kamakhya near Guwahati in Assam.
Indian Railways has cancelled ten trains and diverted 21 after the incident.
The derailment occurred at 9.53 pm and at least two AC III Tier coaches toppled over while four other coaches jumped the tracks.
Buxar Superintendent of Police Manish Kumar informed that four passengers had died in the accident.
Three passengers were killed in a Bihar accident: Usha Bhandari, Akriti Bhandari, and Abu Jayand, while the identity of the fourth passenger remains unknown.
A Railway Police Force official said the injured had been shifted to local hospitals, and those with serious injuries were rushed to AIIMS, Patna.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on X, “We will find the root cause of the derailment,” even as he expressed condolences for the loss of lives.”
The Minister said evacuation and rescue operations were completed, and all coaches have been checked.
Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey, who is an MP from Buxar, said,” It is an unfortunate incident, and the local administration is working round the clock to help those injured in the accident.”
“Rescue operations are going on at the war footing at the Buxar derailment site. NDRF, SDRF, district administration, railway officials, and local residents are all working as one team. The injured have been shifted to a hospital. The war room is operating. The rescue operation will be completed soon. We will start the restoration of the track immediately after that,” he added.
East Central Railways chief public relations officer Birendra Kumar said an expert committee has started looking into the technical aspects of the derailment.
He added three coaches that suffered maximum damage, and deaths were reported from these coaches.
“The railways have handed over the compensation to the families of the dead. The injured are also being provided compensation” he said.
