Residents gather around the damaged dumper after the collision at Rampur on Wednesday. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Dec. 7: Three persons died when the Fakiragram-Kamakhya passenger train and a dumper collided at an unmanned level crossing at Rampur in Assam’s Kamrup district at 3 this afternoon.

A Chaygaon police official said two passengers, Pradip Roy and Samsudin Haq, died after they fell off the train under the impact of the collision. He said Roy and Haq could have been standing at the door of their compartment when the collision occurred.

The driver of the dumper also died but he is yet to be identified.

The 55611 Up Fakiragram-Kamakhya passenger train was speeding towards Kamakhya when it hit an earth-laden dumper crossing the unmanned level crossing number 256.

This gate comes under the Rangiya division of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) between Chaygaon and Mirza station.

Arun Kumar Manocha, divisional railway manager of Rangiya division, said, “While the engine of the train was partially damaged, the dumper was totally smashed.”

Train driver Kashim Ali, assistant driver Pranjal Sarma and four other injured passengers were immediately rushed to the Rampur Public Health Centre, the Chaygaon police official said. The helper of the dumper and a labourer were also injured.

The NFR issued a statement tonight confirming that three persons had died and nine were injured in the mishap but did not identify them.

The accident has happened about two months after the Rangiya division approached Kamrup district administration to close down the level crossing, as there was little vehicular movement across it.

Manocha said, “A census was conducted in 2009 when it was observed that the number of vehicles that pass by this gate is very less. Besides, there is a railway overbridge just 2km away at Rampur gate number 255. Therefore, there is no need for this gate to exist.”

He said by 2015, the NFR would either close unmanned level crossings or man them besides building over and under bridges for pedestrians and vehicles over such crossings.

“We will ensure that no level crossing is left unattended to prevent such accidents,” he added.

Kamrup deputy commissioner S.K. Roy said a joint survey of the level crossings was in the offing, after which a final decision would be taken on the ones to be closed.