Guard Dies in Bengal Train Crash After Duty Swap
Railway Guard Killed in Bengal Train Accident Had Swapped Duty to Spend Father’s Day with Daughter
Railway guard Ashish Dey had initially been scheduled to work on the Shatabdi Express. However, he swapped his shift to the Sealdah-bound Kanchanjunga Express so he could spend more time with his daughter on Father’s Day.
Tragically, at least 10 people were killed and 40 others injured when the Kanchanjunga Express collided with a goods train near New Jalpaiguri in West Bengal on Monday morning.
Passengers who survived the crash showed signs of trauma and relief, but the families of those who lost their lives were left heartbroken. Ashish Dey was among those who died in the accident.
Ashish’s family explained that he made the switch from the Shatabdi Express to the Kanchanjunga Express to be with his daughter, a college student in Kolkata, on Father’s Day. He spent Sunday with his wife and daughter at home, celebrating the occasion, unaware it would be his last time with them.
On a rainy Monday morning, Dey left his home to start his shift from New Jalpaiguri station. He boarded the Kanchanjunga Express as a guard from Siliguri, but within an hour and a half, the train met with a severe accident near Rangapani station, killing him instantly.
The news of his death devastated his family, who later received his body at their home.
Local councilor Tapas Chatterjee told India Today, “We are all shocked by his untimely death. Ashish loved to sing at various events in the neighborhood and had a good relationship with everyone. He was always seen smiling. We just can’t believe that our Ashish is no more.”
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