India: Train Collision Kills At Least 15

Facts

• At least 15 people have been killed and nearly 30 injured after a freight train collided with a passenger train in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on Monday.¹
• According to authorities, the goods train rammed into the stationary Kanchenjungha Express train in the New Jalpaiguri area. The dead included the loco pilot of the goods train and the guard of the passenger train.²
• Despite the severity of the crash, the death toll remained relatively low, reportedly as the freight train crashed into the rear cars of the passenger train, which weren't carrying any passengers.³
• A preliminary investigation has found that the freight train's loco pilot's negligence could have caused the accident.⁴
• Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced a compensation of ₹1M ($12K) for the kin of the deceased, ₹250K for the critically injured, and ₹50K for each passenger who suffered minor injuries.⁵
• Monday's accident comes after three trains collided in the eastern Indian state of Odisha last year, killing nearly 290 people and leaving over 1K injured.²

Sources: ¹Al Jazeera, ²BBC News, ³CBS, ⁴The Indian Express and ⁵The New Indian Express.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The New Indian Express. This crash is a tragic accident caused by human error and negligence. An anti-collision system is being planned for the route the crash occurred on to avoid similar accidents. The crash will be thoroughly investigated and preventative measures will be taken to ensure that past mistakes aren't repeated.
• Narrative B, as provided by BBC News. India has one of the most extensive rail networks in the world, and in recent years, the country has invested heavily in station upgrades and electronic signaling systems. Despite the improvements, rail accidents are still common and are often blamed on human error or outdated equipment.

Predictions