📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Anup Sadi
National
RafiGanj Rail Tragedy 24 Years Ago: 133 Dead as Capital Express Coaches Fell into River
✍️ Amar Ujala · Bihar
🗓 10 Sep 2026, 11:47 AM
👁 34
On a tragic night 24 years ago, several coaches of the Capital Express plunged into the river at RafiGanj, Bihar, leaving 133 people dead.
A night of sorrow unfolded in Bihar when the Capital Express derailed near RafiGanj, causing several of its coaches to tumble into the nearby river. Rescue teams reported that while some carriages sank completely, others became suspended on a bridge spanning the water. The incident quickly turned into a large‑scale rescue operation, but the swift current and the remote location hampered efforts. The official death toll stood at 133, making it one of the deadliest rail disasters in the state’s recent history. The tragedy is often recalled when discussing the safety record of Bihar’s railway bridges, which have been the site of multiple accidents over the decades.
Local authorities at the time launched an inquiry into the cause of the derailment, focusing on track conditions and bridge integrity. Although the exact technical findings were not disclosed publicly, the incident prompted renewed calls for stricter maintenance of railway infrastructure across the region. Survivors and families of the victims were later provided with compensation, but the memory of that night continues to linger in the community.
The RafiGanj disaster remains a reference point in discussions about railway safety in India, underscoring the need for vigilant oversight of bridges and tracks, especially in flood‑prone areas of the country.
Local authorities at the time launched an inquiry into the cause of the derailment, focusing on track conditions and bridge integrity. Although the exact technical findings were not disclosed publicly, the incident prompted renewed calls for stricter maintenance of railway infrastructure across the region. Survivors and families of the victims were later provided with compensation, but the memory of that night continues to linger in the community.
The RafiGanj disaster remains a reference point in discussions about railway safety in India, underscoring the need for vigilant oversight of bridges and tracks, especially in flood‑prone areas of the country.