Railroad Accident in India Kills 800
The railroad accident in India on June 6, 1981, stands as one of the most devastating disasters in railway history, with an official death toll of 800 and over 100 injuries after a tornado derailed a train in Bihar, causing it to plunge into the Bagmati River. This tragic event highlights the challenges faced by India's railway system, which serves a population exceeding one billion and often operates with outdated infrastructure and technology. Despite improvements over the decades, the Indian rail network remains vulnerable to accidents, with approximately 300 incidents reported annually. The overcrowding of trains and the aging tracks, some of which date back to the British colonial era, exacerbate safety concerns. Although the fatality rate has significantly declined since the 1960s, catastrophic accidents, such as those in Firozabad and Gauhati in the 1990s, continue to remind us of the ongoing risks associated with railway travel in a developing country. This incident serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of investing in rail safety and modern technology to protect passengers and prevent future tragedies.
Railroad Accident in India Kills 800
Railroad Accident in India Kills 800
One of the world's worst railroad accidents took place on June 6, 1981, when a tornado struck a train while it was traveling in the northeastern Indian state of Bihar. The tornado blew the train off its tracks and into the Bagmati River, sinking 11 passenger cars. According to the Indian authorities 800 people were killed and more than 100 were injured, although unofficial estimates place the number of dead at closer to 1,000. It was the worst catastrophe in the history of the Indian railroad system, which has been plagued by disasters. A heavily populated, developing country, India cannot afford to equip its trains with the most modern technology or enforce safety measures that Western railroads enjoy. The Indian system has to serve more than a billion people, who often have no other means of long distance transportation. Some of the lines are old, dating back to the British Empire, and the passenger cars are frequently overcrowded. Although the fatality rate has dropped from more than 5 people per 1 million kilometers of rail travel in the 1960s to one-tenth that figure as of the writing of this book, there are still approximately 300 accidents a year. Despite continuing efforts to improve safety after the Bihar disaster, another passenger train accident killed 358 people in Firozabad on August 20, 1995, after a cow wandered onto the tracks, and a head-on collision between two express trains killed 285 people in Gauhati on August 2, 1999.