Raipur. On Sunday, one end of a big drill machine collided with a moving train on the outskirts of Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, due to which two passengers and a sanitation worker were injured. The officers provided this information. A railway public relations officer said here that the incident took place around 10 am when the Shalimar Express bound for Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (Mumbai) was passing through Urkura railway station near Raipur. Railways has ordered a Senior Administrative Grade (SAG) level inquiry into the incident.
Earlier officials had said that a pillar located near the track fell on the train. The official said the metal piece was later found to be from a ‘drill machine reamer’ which resembled a pole. The official said that as soon as the train reached Raipur station, railway personnel including doctors reached the affected coach and provided first aid to the injured passengers.
He said the injured passenger Dewari Dhiwar (30) and sanitation worker Narayan Chandra Bagh (30) were then admitted to a private hospital here. He told that the second injured passenger Somil Mandal (12) was given first aid at the station itself. He said that Mandal, who was going from Kharagpur to Mumbai, was later sent to his destination along with his family in another train. He said that after receiving information about the incident, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Raipur Division Sanjeev Kumar and other senior officers reached Raipur station to assess the incident.
The DRM also visited the hospital, spoke to the relatives of the injured and directed the railway personnel to ensure best possible medical assistance to the victims. He said that Assistant Commercial Manager Avinash Kumar Anand handed over a check of Rs 50,000 to Dhivar as ex-gratia. He said that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has registered a case in connection with the incident.
Railway Public Relations Officer said, “Investigation into the accident revealed that it was not a pillar, rather, it was a reamer of a Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) machine engaged in drilling work by the government power company. He told that the contractor of the electricity company was doing drilling work under the railway track without informing the Railways. He told that when the train was passing through Urkura, the reamer of the machine was being taken out. But, it unexpectedly came out of the ground and collided with the train.
The reamer damaged three air-conditioned (B4, B5 and B6) and one sleeper (S2) coach, breaking window panes and causing scratches on the bogies, injuring three people. The PRO said that Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) officials were called to the spot and they admitted that the contractor ignored the safety standards while working. He said that Railways has ordered a senior administrative grade level inquiry into the incident and action will be taken against those found guilty. He told that the train left for its destination around noon.