On Tuesday, June 6, a major train tragedy was averted in Bokaro, Jharkhand, days after the deadly triple train crash in Odisha, when a tractor collided with a railway gate close to the Santaldih railway crossing as the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Rajdhani Express was passing from there.
The tractor got stuck between the railway track and the gate at the Santhaldih railway crossing. The major mishap was averted by the loco pilot’s fast thought and quick action, as he quickly applied the brakes, bringing the train to a stop at the right time.
“A tractor crashed the railway gate as it closed at the Santaldih railway crossing of the Bhojudih railway station in Bokaro district. However, the train’s driver timely applied the brakes and the train came to a stop, avoiding a serious accident,” said Manish Kumar, DRM, Adra Division, South Eastern Railway.
Kumar stated that the incident occurred at around 5 p.m. and that the train was delayed for around 45 minutes. He stated that the tractor has been seized and that an FIR was registered at the concerned police station. The tractor’s driver had fled the scene.
Meanwhile, Vikas Kumar, the senior divisional commercial manager of the Adra railway station stated that the gateman at the Santaldih crossing has been suspended and that an inquiry has been launched into the matter.
The gateman allegedly failed to lower the crossing gate as soon as he was informed of the approaching train. While the gate was open, the tractor attempted to cross the tracks.
The incident took place just days after one of the country’s most terrible train disasters at the Bahanaga Bazar station in Odisha’s Balasore district, which claimed 288 lives and injured over 1,000 people after a crash involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express, Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, and an iron-laden goods train.