A 15-year-old girl, critically injured in a Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) Toy Train accident near Kurseong market on Monday, has died from her injuries. Roshni Rai passed away on Tuesday morning at North Bengal Medical College and Hospital.
The other injured student, 19-year-old Pratiksha Rai, is in stable condition. Both are residents of Makaibari tea estate in Kurseong.
The incident occurred around 12:40 pm when the two students, who were wearing headphones, inadvertently stepped into the path of a Siliguri-bound train from Darjeeling.
According to DHR Director Rishav Choudhary, the train's locomotive pilot blew the whistle several times, but the students could not hear it due to their headphones.
"Unfortunately, the students couldn't hear the train’s warning due to their headphones, leading them to step sideways into its path. Pratiksha sustained minor injuries, but Roshni suffered severe injuries to her lower body. She was initially referred to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital but passed away early this morning," Choudhary explained.
This marks the fifth such incident since March 2022.
The previous accidents include the death of 16-year-old Surya Routh in June 2024, a woman named Sita Routh being struck by a train in Kurseong the same month, and the death of 70-year-old Khadga Bahadur Tamang in February 2023.
The DHR Director emphasised that the railways were not at fault, asserting, "The train runs at a speed of approximately 10 km per hour, particularly on curves. The railway is often taken for granted due to its slow speed, but it is a machine and can be dangerous. We will work on raising awareness about the DHR to avoid such tragedies in the future."
In an unrelated development, 31 Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the country are set to visit the DHR for a study tour in the third week of April.
The MPs will engage in discussions about the expansion of the rail network in the Northeast, with a special focus on the Sivok-Rangpo Railway line project and the promotion of railway-based tourism.
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