NEW DELHI — A preliminary inquiry pointed the finger at "human error" after at least eight persons died and around 50 were injured when a passenger train was hit by a goods train in India's West Bengal state on Monday.

The driver of the goods train failed to follow the signal and rammed into the passenger train from behind, said Chairperson of the country's Railway Board Jaya Varma.

Three Indian Railways' personnel, including the driver of the goods train and two security guards onboard the passengers train, died in Monday's accident, besides the five passengers who succumbed to fatal injuries

According to her, rescue work had almost completed, and every effort was being done to ensure the best medical treatment for the injured who were admitted to a local hospital.

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She said three Indian Railways' personnel, including the driver of the goods train and two security guards onboard the passengers train, died in Monday's accident, besides the five passengers who succumbed to fatal injuries.

The accident occurred near the Rangapani railway station in Phansidewa area of West Bengal's Darjeeling district at around 9:00 am local time when the goods train crashed into the "Kanchanjunga Express" passenger train.

Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw announced a monetary compensation of 1 million Indian Rupees (around $11,969) for each of the deceased, 250,000 Indian Rupees ($2,992) for those who received grievous injuries, and 50,000 Indian Rupees ($598) for the injured.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and the minister of railways were on their way to the spot of the accident to take stock of the situation.

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Expressing condolences at the loss of human lives, Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X (erstwhile Twitter) his sadness about the railway accident in West Bengal and ordered officials to follow up the situation.