DARJEELING, : The 15-year-old girl who was
hit by a toy train in Kurseong on Monday succumbed to her injuries at a private
nursing home in Siliguri late Monday night.
Eyewitnesses stated that the
girl was dragged for some distance after being struck by the train.
Following her death, locals and
supporters of Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) staged a dharna in
front of Kurseong railway station today, demanding compensation for her family.
BGPM chief Anit Thapa, who was
present at the protest, said, “We held a meeting with railway authorities and
have demanded compensation for the victim’s family. Such accidents are
happening frequently and we need to find a solution to prevent them.”
Thapa, who is also the chief
executive of Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, announced a Rs. 1 lakh
compensation from the GTA and assured that he would push for additional
compensation from Darjeeling Himalayan Railway. He added that an FIR would be
filed against the train pilot and that a committee had been formed to
investigate the incident.
DHR director Resavh Chowdhury
called the incident “very unfortunate” and assured full support for the
compensation process. “Once the funeral proceedings are completed, we will
approach the family to initiate the compensation,” he said.
Chowdhury also emphasized the
need for better infrastructure to prevent such accidents in the future.
In response to the incident,
the DHR cancelled its Darjeeling-Siliguri ride today, which was the same train
involved in the accident yesterday.
