Express trains collide in West Bengal 49 killed

Sainthia (West Bengal): At least 49 passengers were killed and over 150 injured when the speeding Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express rammed into the rear of the Vanachal Express pulling out of the Sainthia station in Birbhum district early today.

Eastern Railway sources in Kolkata said that 49 passengers of the Vanachal Express were killed when the Uttarbanga Express, which was running at a high speed overshot the signal and ploughed into it.
Among the dead were 39 men, eight women and two babies, the sources said.
Officials feared that the toll could rise as three coaches, two unreserved and a luggage van, of the Vananchal Express, which was running five hours late, were smashed with some of the coaches mounting a foot overbridge. GRP sources said that 150 passengers were injured.

Superintendent of Police Humayun Kabir, however, said that 130 passengers were injured.
The accident occurred at 1:54 am when the New Coochbehar-Sealdah Uttarbanga Express came on the same track and rammed into the Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express which was leaving platform number four at Sainthia station, 191 km from Kolkata, Eastern Railway sources said.
The engine of the Uttarbanga Express, which was to stop at the station, telescoped into the rear of the Vananchal Express.

Engine driver MC Dey and assistant driver NK Mandal of the Uttarbanga Express besides the guard of the Vananchal Express A Mukherjee were killed, the sources said. Dey was found dead in his seat. The engine was switched off after an hour by railwaymen. Railway minister Mamata Banerjee, chairman of Railway Board Vivek Sahay, Railway Board member (Electrical) Sudesh Kumar and director general of Railway Health Service BK Ramteke, Eastern Railway general manager VN Tripathy and other senior officials have left for Sainthia. Relief trains from Rampurhat, Asansol and Burdwan have left for the accident spot.

The film director Roman Polanski returns

Roman Polanski has reappeared in public on Saturday after nine months in detention. The film director wanted to be in the concert with his wife in the Jazz Festival.The Polish director attended the performance of Emmanuelle Seigner, his third wife, who acted with a flannel shirt, black hat and jeans. Emmanuelle had the details of opening their concert with a song from the soundtrack of the film “Rosemary’s Baby,” directed by Polanski in 1968.

Roman Polanski was released after ten months of house arrest in which the Swiss government refused his extradition to the U.S., where the filmmaker has pending charges for a child abuse case in 1977 when Polanski was 43 years. The Swiss authorities have also allowed to spend most of their time under house arrest at his chalet in Gstaad.

On Saturday, Polanski was sincere in an interview with Swiss television. The director of “The Pianist” wanted to thank all the expressions of support he has received during the first nine months of public and anonymous, said he was happy, Polanski also had words of thanks for his family, his wife and children, without which “would never have been able to maintain the dignity and perseverance.”

Tiger Woods Switches Back to Former Putter for Final Round of British Open

Tiger Woods switched back to his old putter for today’s final round of the British Open at St. Andrews.
Woods changed to a Nike Method putter prior to the tournament in an effort to conquer the slower greens of the Old Course. He took 99 putts in his first three rounds, including 35 yesterday, to fall 12 shots behind leader Louis Oosthuizen.
Woods today returned to the Titleist Scotty Cameron putter which helped him win 13 of his 14 majors championships since 1999.