Two empty coaches derail near Padmapukuar railway station, no report of any injury

Kolkata: Two empty coaches of a train derailed after it was hit by a parcel van near Padmapukuar railway station of West Bengal's Howrah district on Sunday, an official said.

There was no report of any injury in the freak incident, not far from Howrah station, the official of the Southeastern Railway said.

Empty coaches of a train were being taken to Shalimar yard from Padmapukur when the parcel van hit the coaches which caused the derailment, he said.

The official said, "one case of derailment occurred" when the parcel van hit two empty coaches of an express train at Padmapukur station - which were being taken to the railway siding - from one side.

"It is being investigated how the parcel van came in the route of the coaches midway and hit the empty coaches while changing tracks and whether the driver of the said parcel van ignored the signal. But it was not a major incident and railway traffic along the Shalimar-Santragachi stretch was only partially disrupted for 20 minutes," the official said.

He said the two "empty coaches" derailed on the siding line near Padmapukur and blocked a part of the adjacent main track which partially disrupted the movement of railway traffic.

Work is being carried out to clear the track and fully restore rail traffic, he said.

The official said, "These coaches were being taken to siding and were not attached to any particular long-distance train."