Patna, Oct 22 (IANS): Passengers on the New Delhi-Muzaffarpur Sapt Kranti Superfast express had a narrow escape after its engine hit a iron pole abandoned on the tracks in in East Champaran district on Friday, officials said.

The train, after leaving the Motihari railway station, was on full speed and heading toward Muzaffarpur, when tthe incident occurred at Kunwarpur Chitwanpur halt in east Champaran.

Due to the impact, the wheels of the engine got struck in the tracks. Railway officials removed the engine and repaired it, while railway operations were affected due to the incident for two hours.

According to an East Central Railway official, a team headed by a Permanent Way Inspector was on the job of repairing the track but did not put a red flag. When the driver of the train, which was approaching at high speed, saw employees working on the track, he applied an emergency brake. Meanwhile, seeing the speeding train approaching, the labourers, who were shifting the iron pole, left it on the track and fled from the spot. The engine collided with the pole.

Due to the sudden brake applied by the driver, it creates panic among passengers as they felt a strong jolt.

A rumour spread among passengers that the train caught fire, and many started jumping from the train.

RPF jawan Mayank Kumar ran through the coaches and informed passengers that the train did not catch fire, and that the emergency brake was applied by the driver to save an accident.

The railway official, however, claimed that one was hurt in this mishap. He further said that the negligence of the PWI appeared during the preliminary investigation and action will be taken against him.