Union Minister John Barla said on Friday morning that the death toll in the derailment of the Bikaner-Guwahati Express in New Jalpaiguri district had risen to nine.
Barla, who is minister of state for minority affairs, visited the disaster site on Friday morning. He tweeted rescue operations had been completed and 36 injured people had been shifted to hospitals.
Barla was quoted by ANI as saying passengers bound for Guwahati were sent to the city by a special train.
NDTV reported the injured people had been sent to Jalpaiguri district hospital, Moynaguri government hospital and North Bengal Medical College in Siliguri.
also read
- CBI files first FIR in Sandeshkhali case against 5 for land grab, sexual assault
- Protestors elated over HC verdict in SSC recruitment scam as govt set to appeal
- Recruitment scam: Calcutta HC declares 2016 test null and void, orders teachers to return salaries
- CPI(M)’s transition from once protesting against computers to using AI Samata
- Mamata calls Congress, CPI(M) ‘BJP agents’ in Bengal; urges voters to not back them
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw is scheduled to visit the disaster site on Friday morning.
There were 1,053 passengers on board the train at the time of the derailment.