Goods train wagons run over eight workers in Odisha, six killed
Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Jun, 2023 01:21 PM
Bhubaneswar, June 7 (IANS) Days after the horrific train tragedy in Odisha that stunned the entire world, rakes of a goods train ran over eight labourers, near Jajpur-Keonjhar Road station in the state on Wednesday, killing six of them and seriously injuring the other two, officials said.
The contractual labourers, engaged by a contractor for railway work, had taken shelter under the stabled rake (without engine) from the wind and rain of a 'Norwester' storm near Jajpur-Keonjhar Road, when the accident took place, East Coast Railway's (ECoR) Chief Public Relation Officer Biswajit Sahu said.
The monsoon reserve rake without engine, at the line near Jajpur-Keonjhar Road station, rolled on due to heavy thunderstorms, he said, adding it had materials required for maintenance of railway tracks stationed for upcoming monsoon.
"It is a very unfortunate incident. The workers engaged by the contractor to carry out railway works were taking shelter under the stationed wagons. When the wagons started moving due to heavy wind flow, the workers were trying to come out from the tracks. This incident occurred at this time," Sahu said.
The railway officials present at the spot have taken them to hospital. So far, six of them have died while two critically injured workers have been admitted in the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack, he said.
Divisional railway officials led by DRM Khurda Road rushed to the accident spot, he added.
Expressing deep grief over the unfortunate incident, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia for the next to the kin of deceased persons. He also directed officials concerned to provide quality treatment to the injured workers and wished them speedy recovery.
Notably, at least 288 people died and over 1100 were left injured after Chennai-bound Coromandel Express, Howrah bound SMVP-Howrah Superfast Express and a good train were involved in a major accident near the Bahanaga Bazar railway station in Odisha's Balasore district on June 2 evening.
Also on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid tribute to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose on the occasion of Parakram Jayanti and said: "Today, on Parakram Diwas, I pay homage to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and recall his unparalleled contribution to India's history."
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and Health Minister Balbir Singh said the inauguration program would be held in Amritsar on January 27. The Chief Minister will inaugurate the clinics, while AAP convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will attend the programme as the chief guest.
A police official said that during normal checking of vehicles on Sunday night in Imphal, two persons were apprehended and the drugs, smuggled from Myanmar, were recovered from their procession. The drug peddlers, identified as Md. Abdul Salam and Md. Wasim Akram, have been arrested under the Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.
The bodies of a married couple and their two children, aged three and 11, were found metres from the border on Jan. 19, 2022. Investigators have said they believe the deaths were linked to a human smuggling operation, and a man charged in the U.S. is to stand trial later this year.
A video showing the woman's ordeal has gone viral on social media in which she is seen lying on the ground in a public place. The incident took place on Thursday and the woman, identified as Kalpana, was "turned back without check-up".
The Chief Minister, while interacting with the media after reviewing the progress of development projects worth Rs 167 crore in the city, said it is ironic that the Maharajas in power were more concerned about their own development rather than that of the city. He said though Patiala was known as 'City of Gardens' but due to apathy of those in power, the city lost its shine in the last few years.
