Chilling footage from the driver's cab of a passenger train in India has revealed the dramatic moments before this morning's (Wednesday) accident, when the Kolkata–Sairang Express derailed near the city of Guwahati in the northeastern state of Assam. The video shows the driver working the locomotive's controls moments before the train left the tracks.
When everything fails
"Nothing is working" before India derailment
Audio from the cab of the Kolkata–Sairang Express captures the driver reporting a red signal and failed emergency brakes seconds before the locomotive and five passenger coaches left the tracks in Assam
The accident occurred at approximately 06:54 this morning at Digaru railway station in Kamrup district, Assam. Train number 13125 had departed from Kolkata and was en route to Sairang in Mizoram state. According to a statement from Northeast Frontier Railway, the train had entered the station to allow another train priority passage, but the driver was unable to control its speed.
As a result, the locomotive and five passenger coaches derailed, with six sections of the train involved in the accident.
But additional footage from inside the driver's cab, released after the accident, provides an even more disturbing glimpse into the seconds before the incident. In the video, the driver can be heard reporting that the railway signal is showing red and that the emergency braking system is not functioning. "The signal is red, the emergency brake is engaged, but it's not working. Nothing is working," the driver is heard saying in the recording, shortly before the locomotive strikes a barrier and a loud crash is heard.
Following the accident, rescue teams and senior railway officials were called to the scene, including the divisional railway manager of the regional railway company. Passengers were evacuated and transferred to an alternative train provided for them to continue to their destination.
In the railway administration's initial statement, it was reported that no fatalities or injuries had been recorded and that all passengers were safe. However, additional reports in Indian media indicated that several passengers reported minor injuries, and at this stage the final scope of casualties has not yet been clarified.
"Nothing is working": Chilling footage from inside the locomotive moments before the crash| צילום: Photo: Social media
