Lucky escape for 40 as bus misses train by a whisker

DHARWAD: As many as 40 passengers had a narrow escape when the bus they were travelling in narrowly missed being hit by a train at a manned level crossing near Srinagar Circle here on Thursday. South Western Railway (SWR) has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. The driver’s courageous act in saving passengers has been hailed by locals.

As the gate at the manned level crossing was kept open, the bus which was moving towards Karnatak University passed through it. But the driver was shocked to see a train hurtling down the tracks. He did not lose his presence of mind and accelerated the bus despite the presence of road breakers. In doing so, he managed to save 40 lives.Completely shaken by the experience, the bus passengers expressed deep anguish over the negligence of the railway staff. They even went to Dharwad Railway Station and registered a complaint, demanding immediate action against the “negligent” staff.

However, the staffer at the railway crossing said he had not received any signal about the arrival of the train. As soon as he saw a train approaching, he tried to stop the bus signalling with his hands. Fortunately, the bus moved past the level crossing before the train arrived there. It was the first such incident that he faced in his service, he said.

Bus driver Shabbir Mattesavwale said, “I was shocked to see a train heading towards the bus. As there are humps, drivers usually drive slowly in the area. I had no other option and I just floored the accelerator of the bus. The train crossed just a foot away.” He was later felicitated by passengers and other locals.

SWR Chief PRO E Vijaya said a self-propelled accident relief train (SPART ) was conducting a trial run. As the work was in progress, the train arrived at the level crossing while the gate was still being closed. A high-level inquiry has been constituted to look into the incident.