A head-on collision between two goods trains on a privately-owned National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) track in Jharkhand's Sahibganj district in the wee hours of Tuesday resulted in the death of three people, including the locomotive pilots, and left four Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel injured, officials said.
The incident occurred at approximately 3 am on the Lalmatia MGR (Merry-Go-Round) line, a dedicated railway track operated by NTPC, which connects the Lalmatia coal mines in Jharkhand's Godda district to the Farakka Thermal Power Plant in West Bengal.
The impact of the collision triggered a fire in one of the coal-laden wagons, prompting an emergency response from local fire departments. Rescue operations are ongoing.
In an official statement, NTPC clarified that the MGR line is exclusively owned and operated by the corporation and does not fall under the purview of Indian Railways. "The loco, track, crew, maintenance, and signaling are entirely managed by NTPC. There is no involvement of Indian Railways in this incident," the statement read.
Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the collision. Meanwhile, NTPC has requested assistance from Eastern Railway’s Malda Division, including a 140-tonne crane to aid in clearing the wreckage.
Sources told media that Indian Railways has dispatched a crane from Sahibganj
