JOIN USSixteen passengers were injured - three of them greviously- when an excavator hit the bogies of Karmali-Dadar Janshatabdi Express in Sindhudurg district of Konkan region on Sunday evening.
According to reports reaching Mumbai, the accident took place at 1625 hrs while the 12052 Janshatabdi Express train was on its way to Mumbai. “An excavator of a private stone quarry fell down from Kaswan-3 cutting between Sindhudurg and Kankavali stations which infringed the railway track and hit one AC chair car coach and 2 non-AC chair car coaches of the train,” a spokesperson of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd (KRCL) said.
The injured passengers were immediately shifted to the government hospital at Kankavali. Konkan Railway officials rushed to the site and cleared the track. Ex-gratia payment is being arranged by KRCL to the injured passengers.
An FIR is being lodged by KRCL against the stone quarry owner.
As a result of the accident, train no 10103 Mandovi Express was detained for an hour and 10105 Diva-Sawantwadi passenger train for an hour and 50 minutes.
Free train passes were arranged for the families of the injured to visit the latter at the hospital.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu has ordered a probe into the freak mishap. “The Railway minister has ordered that inquiry will be conducted into the incident and strict action will be taken against the stone quarry owner. This inquiry will be conducted by the Commissioner of Railway Safety,” KRCL officials said.