Kishanganj, Sept. 29: Train services in the New Jalpaiguri-Katihar section, which remained suspended since yesterday after a goods carriage caught fire at Chunamani village, are likely to resume tomorrow with the Railways pressing over 1,000 workers to repair the tracks.

One person was killed, while at least 19 wagons of the goods train carrying petroleum products caught fire and two others jumped the tracks at Chunamani in the New Jalpaiguri-Katihar section of the Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) in this north Bihar district. Moti-ur-Rahman was charred to death when one of the oil tankers in flames fell on him. He was then bathing in a pond close to the accident site.

Senior NFR officials have rushed to the area and are camping there to oversee the repair work. Katihar rail division manager, who’s accompanying the officers, said train services were likely to begin by midnight tonight.

Railway sources said the Katihar divisional manager has pledged a compensation of Rs 2 lakh for the deceased’s family. Several Chunamani villagers had earlier in the day staged a demonstration, seeking compensation for Rahman’s kin. The sources added that the Railways has constituted a team of junior officials to probe into the circumstances leading to the accident. According to a rough estimation, the Railways has incurred a loss of over Rs 50 crore owing to the accident.

Several trains running along the route had to be diverted to Thakurganj, while many others were running behind schedule. Fire tenders from Purnea, Katihar and Kishanganj took nearly eight hours to douse the flames.