Pole fell on running train near Raipur railway station, three injured
Team News Riveting
Raipur, May 19
The 18030 Shalimar Express from Shalimar to Mumbai LTT met with an accident near Raipur under South East Central Railway (SECR) zone today in which about three passengers were injured.
The accident occurred near Urkura station at around 10 am today when an electric pole near the track fell on the moving train. The passengers had a miraculous escape as the pole rubbed the coaches while the train was in motion; damaging windows, door panels and glasses.
Three passengers were however not so fortunate. The pole caused serious injuries on their hands as they were sitting by the side of the window. Reports said their hands were dislocated from their palms.
The train reached platform number 1 of Raipur at around 10.15 am. It was only after 25 minutes that movement in the platform could be noticed even as the two critically injured were screaming in pain. The third injured, a minor, received injuries on his eye following flying of glass participles.
The office of Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Raipur responded in a message posted in X stating: “Station staff immediately swung into action. Railway officers had reached the station the movement train reached. Ambulance with doctors arrived within 5 minutes.”
The running staff on the train had informed the station about the incident. It took about 15 to 20 minutes for the train to chug into platform no 1. By then, neither the doctors nor ambulance had reached as the official had stated that “doctors reached within 5 minutes”.
According to eyewitnesses, the injured were manually lifted from the coaches without any stretcher and brought to gate no 1. The two injured, who were profusely breeding, were made to sit outside the entry point and provided first aid. In a scorching heat, the injured remained seated on the floor while being given the primary medical treatment. They were shifted in the ambulance soon after it reached and rushed to the hospital.
The eyewitnesses said a senior officer, who reached at around 10.40 am, took strong exception to the arrangements at the station. “Your station did not have any arrangement to deal with the situation,” the officer fumed. Don’t state what was done, think of what could not be done, he said, adding that he would take the officers’ concern to task.
The Railway authorities have put the ball on Chhattisgarh State electricity Board (CSEB) court for the serious lapse that fortunately did not turn into a major disaster. “External object hitting the train. (Chhattisgarh State electricity Board) CSEB was doing unauthorised work,” the DRM message underlined.
The CSEB officials have categorically denied any unauthorised work going on near the tracks. They said it was being carried out with due permissions.
