The South Central Railway (SCR) has announced that a high level inquiry headed by Commissioner of Railway Safety (South Central Circle) has been ordered to investigate the tragic incident of about 16 persons sleeping on the railway tracks run over by a goods train proceeding towards Manmad. The incident occurred between Badnapur and Karmad stations on the Parbhani-Manmad section of Nanded Division at about 5.22 a.m., informed a spokesman on Friday.
While 14 died on the spot, two others injured died later in the hospital, and one person who had a lucky escape with minor injuries is said to be recuperating at the Aurangabad Civil Hospital.
Loco pilot tries hard
The incident occurred, even as the loco pilot of the goods train honked the horn as soon as he noticed the group of people infringing the rail tracks and also made all possible efforts to stop the train.
Senior Officials of Railway Protection Force (RPF) rushed to the spot along with officers from other departments. Divisional Railway Manager of Nanded division Upinder Singh also reached the site to personally monitor relief operations. A Medical Relief Van (MRV) comprising a team of doctors, nurses and other para-medical staff along with medicines and medical equipment also rushed to the spot to undertake medical relief measures.
General Manager Gajanan Mallya held a meeting with principal heads of departments, immediately on receipt of information about the incident and directed that the relief and rescue operations be taken up at the fastest.
Relief train from Jharkhand
Telangana also received the first migrant labour train in the reverse direction from Bihar when the ‘Shramik Special’ which took more than 1,000 passengers few days ago returned with about 220 labourers from Khazaria to the Lingampalli Station a short while ago. Government officials and health care workers are checking on the passengers and they are expected to put in quarantime for 14 days at designated places.
Earlier, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had stated that the railways can bring back stranded labour from the Northern states instead of running empty rakes in the return direction. The State Government has been paying for the movement of the special trains from here and it is yet to be ascertained if the Bihar Government has picked up the fare of the returning passengers from there.