MURSHIDABAD – West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari has promised the “strictest possible action” against those responsible for a horrific train-van collision in Murshidabad district on Friday morning, which claimed five lives, including four school children and a cyclist.

The accident occurred around 6:41 a.m. at level crossing gate 24A/2 near Karna Subarna Railway Station, on the Azimganj-Katwa section of the Eastern Railway. According to preliminary reports, the Nimtita-Katwa passenger train struck a school van and a bicycle as they attempted to cross the tracks. Eyewitnesses alleged that the gate remained open even after the passage of another train, creating a fatal trap for commuters.

Administration Pledges Full Support

In a statement issued via his official social media handle, Chief Minister Adhikari expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families. “My heart goes out to the families, especially the parents of the young students who lost their lives,” he said.

The Chief Minister confirmed that the state administration has mobilized its top resources to manage the aftermath:

• Medical Care: Health Minister Dr. Sharadwat Mukherjee is personally overseeing the treatment of the survivors—four students and the van driver—at the Berhampur Medical College and Hospital.
• Ground Supervision: Minister Gouri Sankar Ghosh, alongside the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police, has been deployed to the site to coordinate relief operations.
• Legal Action: The railway gateman on duty, identified as Anup Karmarkar, has been arrested by state police following allegations of gross negligence and intoxication while on duty. Eastern Railway has also suspended both the gateman and his supervisor, Kaushik Mal.

Kolkata Connection

While the incident occurred roughly 200 km from the state capital, the ripples of this tragedy are being felt across Kolkata’s administrative circles. The involvement of the State Health Ministry and the high-level inquiry initiated by Eastern Railway—which maintains its divisional headquarters in the city—highlights how deeply integrated the state’s regional districts are with Kolkata-based oversight.

Additional Context

• Compensation: The Union Railway Ministry has announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹10 lakh to the families of each deceased, while the West Bengal government has committed an additional ₹5 lakh per victim.
• Investigation: A 10-member railway team, led by the Additional Divisional Railway Manager, is currently on-site conducting a formal inquiry into the safety lapse.
• Public Outcry: Local residents at the site of the collision protested the incident, alleging that the gateman frequently reported to work while inebriated, a claim that is now a central focus of the police investigation.

What’s Next

The coming days will see the results of the railway’s high-level inquiry, which is expected to clarify whether systemic failures contributed to the tragedy beyond the alleged negligence of the gate personnel. Residents and observers are waiting to see how the state government follows through on its promise of “strictest possible action” as the criminal case against the arrested gateman proceeds.