RANCHI, April 1: Two loco pilots were killed while four others got injured in a head-on collision between two goods trains in Jharkhand’s Sahebganj district in the early hours of Tuesday, police said, as reported by NDTV.
The collision between the two trains, operated by power major National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), happened around 3am near Bhognadih in Barhait police station area, they said.
A police officer aware of the developments told HT that the incident took place around 3am.
Five killed as Indian passenger and goods trains collide
“One freight NTPC train with two diesel engines was waiting, allowing another to pass near a crossing but by mistake another freight train with two diesel engines ran on the same track where the first freight train was waiting. Both the freight trains derailed after the incident,” the police official said.
The tracks on which the accident happened are also owned by NTPC and mainly used for transporting coal to its power plants.
Confirming the development, superintendent of police (SP) of Sahibganj Amit Kumar Singh said both drivers died in the incident.
“The matter is related to the collision of two freight NTPC trains on MGR rail line Barhet. Two freight NTPC trains collided with each other at Bhognadih turn. Driver Dnyaneshwar Mal (35) and Ambuj Mahato (35) have died in this accident,” SP Singh said.
“Assistant loco pilot GK Nath and Rajendra Kumar besides two labourers including Ravi Ghosh and Zirul Sheikhare sustained injuries in the incident. They have been sent to Malda for treatment”, he added.
“After the accident, a fire broke out. The inferno was controlled by fire fighters and the deceased bodies were sent for postmortem”, he said.