Agartala: The Tripura Government has dispatched a two-member team to the site of the Kanchanjunga Express accident to assist people from Tripura and announced an ex-gratia compensation for any fatalities from the state.
During a press conference, PK Chakraborty, IAS, Secretary to the Tripura Chief Minister, shared details of the incident. The tragic train accident occurred earlier on Monday.
“At 8:15 AM on June 16th, the Kanchanjunga Express departed from Agartala Railway Station heading to Sealdah with a full load of passengers. The train comprised 23 coaches, including 21 passenger coaches and 2 VP parcel coaches,” he explained.
He also mentioned that following the accident, the Tripura State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) was activated, providing helpline numbers and coordinating with Railway Authorities for the latest updates.
“A special team has been sent from Tripura Bhawan Kolkata to the accident site to support the people of Tripura. The team is expected to arrive by this evening,” Chakraborty added.
Under the direction of Tripura Chief Minister Prof. Dr. Mani Saha, it was decided that the state government would cover the medical expenses of all injured individuals. In the unfortunate event of the fatality of a Tripura resident, the government has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs. 2 lakhs to the next of kin of the victim.
“The state government has been actively monitoring the situation since this morning,” he said.
Additionally, UK Chakma, Secretary of the Transport Department, stated that there have been no reports of deaths or injuries among people from Tripura so far.
“We are closely monitoring the incident in coordination with the West Bengal administration,” he added.