Land of Jewels (Sana Leibak)

Gaisal ghost strikes again: Nijbari (Phansidewa), Dec. 10: Death struck at express speed but this time the casualty was one. More than 1,000 passengers of the 4055 DN Brahmputra Mail had a miraculous escape when 14 of the 17 coaches jumped tracks here last night (Sunday night). In 1999, the same train -- Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Mail -- had a head-on collision with the Delhi-Guwahati Avadh-Assam Express in Gaisal, killing at least 300 passengers. The Gaisal ghost came back again on December 23, 2003 when 11 coaches of the train got derailed in Malda. There were no casualties then. The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), which is not ruling out sabotage, claimed that 66 people were injured though eyewitnesses said the figure would be at least 100. “Of the 66, 30 were released after first aid while the others are under treatment at different hospitals in and around Siliguri,” said T. Rabha, the chief public relations officer of the NFR. Most people were asleep when the bogies jumped tracks ...

One killed, many injured: New Jalpaiguri, Dec 10: One person was killed and 32 passengers were injured when 14 bogies of Brahmaputra Mail derailed about 15 km from New Jalpaiguri junction on Sunday. A body of a pantry worker was recovered from the pantry car early this morning, Additional Divisional Railway Manager of New Jalpaiguri N Punnuswamy, who is supervising rescue operations on the spot, told reporters. The victim's identity is yet to be established, he said adding that gas cutters were used to cut through the pantry car and few other bogies. Following the derailment, movement of trains to the north-east region has been stopped, the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) sources said. They added the rescue work was going on at a war-footing to clear the tracks and restore the railway-link to the north-east. Meanwhile, the cause of the accident is yet to be known. "An inquiry has been ordered by the NFR and only after the report is available, we shall be able to find out the ...