Agartala/Guwahati, June 17 (IANS): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday announced Rs 2 lakh as ex-gratia to the next of kin of any passenger from the state who died in the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjungha Express accident in north Bengal.

The Kanchanjungha Express, which left Agartala on Sunday, was hit by a goods train carrying containers between Rangapani and Chatterhat station under the Katihar division of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR).

After speaking with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw over phone, the Chief Minister said that the central minister informed him that the rescue operation is going on in full swing and assured him that all necessary support would be given to the victims and their families.

Saha said that the state government is continuously monitoring the situation since.

“Tripura Bhawan officials (in Kolkata) were instructed to visit the accident site for proper monitoring of rescue and rehabilitation of accident victims. Cost of treatment of all injured will be borne by the state government. In case of any unfortunate accidental death, the state government has declared Rs 2 lakh ex-gratia payment to the next of kin of the victim,” the Chief Minister said in a post on X.

Secretary to the Tripura Chief Minister, Pradip Kumar Chakraborty said that a special two-member team was sent to the accident site on behalf of the state government to take stock of the situation. The team would coordinate between the railway authorities and the hospitals, if necessary, Chakraborty told the media.

Railway officials are yet to confirm about any injury or deaths from Tripura.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said that General Manager, NFR, Chetan Kumar Shrivastava also left by train from Maligaon (Guwahati) for the accident site.

The NFR operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.