70-year-old train passenger dies as protesters jam tracks at Kottavalasa 

VIZIANAGARAM: A 70-year-old man, travelling from Odisha to Visakhapatnam for treatment to his heart ailment, died in Kottavalasa railway station in Vizianagaram on Saturday. The family members of the deceased alleged that he died as he failed to receive timely medical aid as the train was stopped at a small village.

The train was stopped at Kottavalasa railway station as the authorities did not allow any train to Visakhapatnam railway station anticipating trouble from defence services aspirants against the Agnipath scheme. A message went around WhatsApp asking all the aspirants to gather and stage a protest at the Viskhapatnam railway station which prompted the police not to allow any train or passengers to the station. Trains were either cancelled or short terminated due to the restrictions.

According to information reaching here, Jogesh Behara of Nagupada village in Kalahandi district of Odisha was suffering from heart disease and boarded Korba express from Korba to Visakhapatnam to avail better treatment. 

He suffered severe chest pain soon after the train stopped at Kottavalasa railway station. Behara’s family members shifted him to the local private hospital in the wheelchair provided by the authorities in a private vehicle due to the non-availability of an ambulance. However, he breathed his last before the hospital authorities could provide the first aid.