Narrow escape for passengers as tree falls on railway tracks

About 1,000 passengers on board the Yeshwantpur-Mangaluru-Karwar Express had a narrow escape on Monday evening. A mango tree near Kuppila in Bantwal taluk, just minutes before the train passed the spot. 

Members of a local youths organisation informed Railway authorities in time about the tree fall and the train was stopped to ensure that no danger was caused. The tree had fallen due to incessant rain in the area.

The train resumed its journey after about two and a half hours.

Members of Netaji Yuvaka Sangha also helped later to remove the huge tree from the tracks.

Speaking Deccan Herald, Bipin Bekal, a resident of the city who was travelling on the train with his wife and son till Mangaluru, said, “The train left Yeshwantpur station at its scheduled time of 6.30 am. Around 4.30 pm, when the train had barely reached Bantwal station, it suddenly came to a halt. It was found that a huge mango tree had fallen on the tracks. In the absence of tree-cutting tools and due to the heavy rains, it took a long time to clear the tracks.”

Gautam Majumdar, Additional Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway (Mysuru division), told Deccan Herald, “The trunk of the huge tree had fallen about 15 meters away, but its branches had fallen on the track. As soon as they got the information, the maintenance wing officials reached the spot to remove the tree.”

Around 70 members of the Sangha helped in cutting the tree, along with Railway personnel.