Two school students among three killed as train hits pool car at level crossing in Bengal

KOLKATA: Three persons, including two school children, were killed after a pool car they were travelling in was hit by a train in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Friday morning, an Eastern Railway official said.

Three others, including the pool car driver, were injured in the accident that occurred around 7 am at a level-crossing gate near the Karna Subarna Railway Station, he said.

The gateman of the level crossing was arrested on the charge of alleged dereliction of duty, the Eastern Railway official said.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced an ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the kin of each deceased, he said.

"The pool car, carrying the students to school, was crossing the rail lines at the level crossing gate near the Karna Subarna Station, about 48 km from Katwa, when the local train hit the vehicle," he said.

The injured were initially taken to a local hospital and later shifted to Bardhaman Medical College and Hospital for treatment, he said.

A 10-member team went to the place to investigate the cause of the accident, the ER official told PTI.

The team will investigate why the level crossing gate was open when a train was approaching, he said.

The level crossing gate was reported to be open when the accident occurred.

Train services in the Azimganj-Katwa section of the Eastern Railway's Howrah division were affected following the accident, he said.