'Emergency brake not working': Video captures moments leading to Assam train derailment

GUWAHATI: A chilling video purportedly captures the moments leading up to the derailment of the Kolkata-Sairang Express near Guwahati on Wednesday morning, with the locomotive's driver heard reporting a possible brake failure moments before the train hits barricades with a loud thud. In the footage recorded from inside the locomotive, the driver can be heard saying that the signal was red and that the emergency system was not working. “Signal red hai... emergency laga hua hai, lekin kaam nahi kar raha hai. Kuch bhi kaam nahi kar raha hai,” the driver is heard saying, indicating that the emergency system was not functioning. Moments later, the locomotive hits the barricades, followed by a loud thud as the train goes off the tracks. The video captures the exact moment of the derailment, offering a chilling glimpse into the sequence of events before the mishap. The locomotive and five coaches of the Mizoram-bound Kolkata-Sairang Express (Train No. 13125) derailed at Digaru railway station in Assam's Kamrup (Metro) district around 6.54am on Wednesday. According to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), the train was being received at Digaru station to give precedence to another train when the locomotive pilot could not control its speed, resulting in the derailment. NFR chief public relations officer KK Sharma said all passengers were safe and no injuries had been reported. Passengers were being transported to their destinations by an alternative train. Relief and rescue operations were launched immediately after the incident. The NFR general manager and other senior railway officials proceeded to the site to oversee the operations. The derailment also affected train services in the region. Train No. 12067 Guwahati-Jorhat Town Jan Shatabdi Express was controlled at Panbari, while Train No. 15627 Coimbatore-Silchar Express was regulated at Panikhaiti.