3 students killed after train rams school van in Bengal’s Murshidabad

3 min readUpdated: Jul 17, 2026 11:05 AM IST

A rescuer carrying one of the injured children (left) to safety; the mangled school van. (Express Photo)

Three school students and a cyclist have died after a passenger train rammed a school van crossing railway tracks in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district early on Friday. Four people were critically injured in the incident at the Gobindpur railway gate near Karnasubarna station.

According to police and eyewitnesses, the tragedy unfolded moments after the Howrah-bound Nabadwip Dham Express passed through the area. A police officer said the railway crossing was shut when the express train passed. Soon after, it was opened even though a passenger train was scheduled to pass next. The driver of the van carrying school students spotted the open crossing and tried to drive across the tracks. At the same time, a cyclist tried to cross the tracks. “The Nimtita-Katwa local train, hurtling at high speed, rammed the school van,” said the police officer.

The impact crumpled the vehicle, flung it to the side of the tracks, and the children were trapped inside. Three school students from Gobindpur village and the cyclist died on the spot. The cyclist has been identified as 50-year-old Jamshed Sheikh.

The screams of the children trapped in the mangled van alerted the local residents, and they started making attempts to rescue them. Soon after, police personnel from the Berhampore police station joined in. Three students and the van’s driver, who have suffered serious injuries, were rushed to the Murshidabad Medical College and Hospital. The bodies of the dead have been sent for autopsy.

Locals blame Railways

Local residents accused the gateman of negligence and questioned the Railways’ signal systems. “The barrier had been lowered for the express train. Once it passed, the gateman raised it. The passenger train was running late. Seeing the gate open, the van driver thought the tracks were clear. The train came out of nowhere at high speed. It was pure negligence,” an eyewitness said.

​Another resident of the area said, “Why did the gate remain open when a train was approaching on the down line? Where was the gateman, and why did the signalling system fail? Young lives have been lost because someone didn’t do their job.”

​Railway authorities have initiated a high-level inquiry into the tragedy. A four-member team of senior officials has reportedly left Howrah for the accident site to conduct an in-depth assessment. But an official statement is awaited.

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Train movement in the Azimganj-Katwa section of Eastern Railway was affected after local residents, angry over the accident, blocked the tracks.

Sweety Kumari is a seasoned journalist reporting from West Bengal for The Indian Express. With over a decade of experience in the media industry and eight years specifically with The Indian Express, she demonstrates considerable Expertise and Authority across a diverse range of critical beats.

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Current Role: Journalist, The Indian Express, reporting from West Bengal.

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Undergraduate Education: Holds an Honours degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College.

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train accident