At least 60 people were killed and over 90 passengers injured when a train in high speed tore through the rear of another at the Sainthia station in Bhirbhum district of West Bengal, after it apparently overshot the signal in the small hours of the day.

Driver M C Dey and assistant driver N K Mandal of the Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express, which collided with the Ranchi-bound Vananchal Express, were among the dead in the accident for which railways are not ruling out sabotage as the cause.

The guard of the Vananchal Express A Mukherjee also died in the mishap which was so severe that the roof and the sides of one of the compartments mounted the road overbridge across the tracks in the station, 191 kms from Kolkata, in Eastern Railway.

A part of another compartment of the Vananchal Express split and fell on the road along the tracks after being thrown over the bridge.

"A total of 60 persons, including three railway employees, have lost their lives in the accident when three rear coaches including one luggage van and two unreserved general second class coaches of the Vananchal Express were affected," an Eastern Railway release said here.

The accident occurred at 2:00 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.

Eastern Railway general manager V N Tripathi did not rule out sabotage, which railway minister Mamata Banerjee hinted this morning when she said "we have doubts about the cause of the accident, the second in West Bengal in two months".

The general manager said the train was in speed and "what caused this we will have to find out. The driver is a very good driver and we are also puzzled".

Asked whether sabotage could be behind the accident, he said, "Possibly. Nothing could be ruled out".

Though the railways were hesitant to come out with the reason for the accident, the second in two months in West Bengal after the Jyaneshwari Express disaster that claimed 148 lives, an apparent overshooting of the signal by the driver of the Uttarbanga Express could be the reason behind this.

Eastern Railway sources in Kolkata and Railway Board sources in Delhi said the Uttarbanga Express, which has a scheduled stop at Sainthia, was running at a high speed, overshot the signal and ploughed into the Vananchal Express.

The scheduled arrival and departure of Uttarbanga Express at Sainthia was 1.38 am and 1.39 am. It was not clear why the train, which was to halt at the station, was at a high speed.

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Mamata says train accident cause 'highly suspicious

Railway minister Mamata Banerjee was "suspicious" about the cause of the accident involving Sealdah-bound Uttarbanga Express and Vananchal Express at Sainthia station in Birbhum district early today.

"I am suspicious about the cause of the accident," Banerjee told reporters here when asked about the circumstances that led to the mishap.

"We have some doubt in our mind. Whatever happened is not casual thing. We will take all strong step against those who are behind this," she said before proceeding for the accident site.

She, however, did not elaborate, but said that she had ordered an inquiry.

She also announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh and employment to one member of each family of the dead.

The seriously injured would receive Rs 1 lakh and those with minor injuries Rs 25,000, she said.

The incident comes within two months of the Jnaneshwari train disaster near Jhargram that left 148 dead.

The railway minister had alleged a 'political conspiracy' behind it.

Can't rule out sabotage: Eastern railways GM

The railways today did not rule out the possibility of sabotage in the train collision involving Uttarbanga Express and the Vananchal Express here, that claimed the lives of at least 60 passengers.

"Nothing can be ruled out. Ho sakta hai hamara equipment se chherchhar hui ho. Ye sab janch ke bad pata chalega (It may be possible that our equipment might have been tampered with. It will be known only after inquiry)," eastern railways general manager V N Tripathy told PTI.

"The commissioner of railway safety is holding an inquiry after which we will be able to know what exactly happened."

To another question, he said that the Uttarbanga Express, which rammed into the rear of Vananchal Express, seemed to be running at a much higher speed than it was supposed to while entering the Sainthia station.