Train clash kills at least 8 people in India’s touristic district

At least eight people were killed and several others were injured as a cargo train collided with a passenger train in India's eastern state of West Bengal on Monday. Nearly 50 people were hospitalized after the incident that occurred in Darjeeling district, a tourist spot located in the Himalayan foothills. Three of the eight killed people were railway personnel, the spokesperson of the Northeast Frontier Railway Sabyasachi De said. Doctors, disaster-response teams and ambulances are at the site of the incident, the state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said in a post on social media platform X. The footage of one train rammed into the end of the other, with one compartment rising vertically in the air, has been aired by local television channels. The driver of the cargo train disregarding a signal card caused the collision. The driver was among the killed persons. Four compartments at the rear of the passenger train had derailed due to the impact. Most of the cars were carrying cargo while one was a passenger coach, Sabyasachi De stated. The Kanchanjunga Express that connects West Bengal state with other cities in the northeast of India is often used by tourists who travel to Darjeeling station, a popular destination for tourists during summer season.