Bikaner-Guwahati train accident: Death toll rises to 9, Railways Minister to visit incident site

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday will visit the train accident site at Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri district of West Bengal as the death toll in the Bikaner-Guwahati train accident has risen to nine, Union Minister John Barla informed.

"Death toll in Bikaner-Guwahati Express mishap has risen to nine. The rescue operation has been completed. 36 injured were admitted to different hospitals. Passengers were sent to Guwahati by special train," John Barla said.

Indian Railways has announced an ex gratia of Rs 5 lakh for the family members of people who lost their lives in the incident. The Prime Minister, earlier on Thursday, took stock of the situation. He also announced an enhanced amount of ex-gratia payment to the victims of the accident. Two teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) carried out the rescue operation as passengers were trapped after multiple bogies of the Guwahati-Bikaner Express (15633) derailed in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district on Thursday. The accident took place near Domohani in West Bengal at around 5 pm. Around 10 coaches were affected in the accident.