Daijiworld Media Network – Karwar (SP)

Karwar, May 19: The passengers of a summer special train from Thiruvananthapuram had a providential escape in the wee hours on Tuesday May 18, after the train in which they were travelling, hit a tanker carrying petroleum products, which had fallen on the edge of the railway tracks.

The tanker in question, carrying 8,000 litres of diesel and 4,000 litres of petrol from Mangalore, had fallen off the bridge located at Gorte on the outskirts of Bhatkal town on national highway 17. The tanker had tumbled on to the railway track at around 1 am, and the fact that diesel and petrol had not spilled out from the tanker came as a saving grace, as otherwise, sparks emanating from the moving wheels of the train would have given rise to a catastrophe.

The seriously injured tanker driver was taken to Bhatkal government hospital and then shifted to Manipal Hospital for advanced treatment. The driver of the summer special train did not notice the fallen tanker, and applied brakes after the engine hit the front side of the tanker. The fact that the front portion of the tanker had fallen on the tracks also saved the passengers.

A team of engineers came from Margao later and took up repair works. Trains were thereafter allowed to move on the tracks. The engine of the train suffered some damages, and a junior engineer of Konkan Railway Corporation has filed a complaint at the rural police station in Bhatkal against the tanker driver, claiming compensation for damage caused to the train. Sub-inspector, Timmappa Naik, has been investigating.