Preliminary report on Kanchanjunga train crash blames goods train crew

Initial findings of officials present at the site of the Kanchanjunga Express accident suggest that the loco pilot and crew of the goods train that rear-ended the passenger train were at fault for the crash, according to a joint observation note by six officials.

The observation note is a standard procedure after any train accident and does not amount to a probe, railway officials clarified. The official investigation is being undertaken by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS).

The accident, which took place near the New Jalpaiguri station, killed nine and injured 41 people, including the guard of the Kanchanjunga Express and the loco pilot of the goods train behind, after it crashed into the Kanchanjunga Express, damaging two parcel coaches, in the absence of which the accident could have had a more dire impact.