Train accident averted in Bihar; sabotage suspected

Hajipur (Bihar), Jan 23 (IANS) A train accident was averted between Sathajagat and Dalsinghsarai railway stations near Samastipur in Bihar, a railway official said on Monday.

"Two members of a railway patrolling team on Sunday found two stone slabs on the railway track between Sathajagat and Dalsinghsarai railway stations around 12.20 a.m.," Eastern Railway Spokesperson Arvind Kumar Rajak said in a statement.

"When the patrolmen tried to remove the cement slabs from the tracks, 3-4 persons, who were hiding, came out and abused the patrolmen. The patrolmen later told the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and police about it," Rajak said.

"The engineering staff, along with RPF, GRP and police personnel reached the site at 1.22 a.m. and the track was made operational around 1.44 am," Rajak said.

Following timely information by the railway patrolmen, the Muzaffarpur-Bhagalpur Intercity Express set to pass from the same route was halted.

In the last four months, three major train accidents happened due to derailment.

At least 41 people died and over 60 injured on Sunday when nine coaches of Hirakhand Express derailed near Kuneru station, 24 km from Rayagada in Odisha.

The train was on its way to the Odisha capital Bhubaneswar from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh.

On November 20 last year, at least 149 people died and over 300 injured when 14 coaches of Patna-Indore derailed near Pukhraya, 50 km from Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

On December 28, at least two people were killed when the 15 coaches of Sealdeah-Ajmer express derailed near Rura station in Kanpur.