Siliguri: A diesel locomotive of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) derailed and turned turtle near Sukna, a hilly area adjacent to Siliguri, while en route from New Jalpaiguri (NJP) to Kurseong. There were no coaches attached to the engine. The incident occurred on Friday morning.
According to sources, the engine, which had departed NJP without carriages for routine transit, suddenly lost control as it crossed Sukna station. It veered off the track and overturned along the roadside. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Both the driver and assistant driver of the engine escaped unhurt.
Senior Railway officials promptly arrived at the scene following the mishap. With the help of a crane, the overturned engine was lifted back onto the tracks. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.
Rishav Choudhary, the Director of DHR confirmed the incident.
“Only the engine was on its way to Kurseong from NJP. It overturned in dry weather conditions and we are investigating the exact reason behind the accident,” he stated. DHR sources stated that the DHR train from Darjeeling to Siliguri was cancelled on Friday along with the Saturday morning train from NJP to Darjeeling.