Authorities at Sainthia station made frantic announcements over loudspeakers to the driver of the Uttarbanga Express moments before it tore into the Vananchal Express here on Monday.
“We announced repeatedly over loudspeakers asking the driver of the Uttarbanga Express to brake as the Vananchal Express was just starting to leave platform No. 4,” Assistant station master of Sainthia Pulak Chakraborty told reporters.
Mr. Chakraborty said that the Uttarbanga Express entered the station at a high speed on the same track as the Vananchal Express although the ‘home signal’ was not given.
The Uttarbanga Express, which was to halt at the station, entered at a high speed and collided on the rear of the Vananchal Express with a loud bang, Salam Sheik, a hawker, said.
“We ran for safety at first, but returned to help with the rescue operations,” he said.
A cabinman, who preferred anonymity, said that the Uttarbanga Express driver was at fault.
After the collision, tinned condiments, gutkha pouches, plastic bangles, plastic torchlights, mineral water bottles, scarfs and towels were found strewn on the platform and the tracks.
Three motorbikes, wrapped in jute bags, were also lying on the tracks.
Eyewitnesses claimed that these were being unloaded from the vendor compartments of the Vananchal Express, which was already running five hours late.
