Death toll in train-three-wheeler accident rises to four

Rupnagar, Feb 16 (UNI) Four people, including two women and a child, were killed and two other injured when a passenger train rammed into a three-wheeler at an unmanned railway level crossing on Rupnagar-Nangal section near village Alipur near here today. The accident took place around 0830 hrs when the occupants of the three-wheeler were going to the village for attending a marriage.

As the driver of the three-wheeler tried to cross the railway crossing, the 2CNA down Churru-Nangal-Chandigarh-Ambala passenger train struck and dragged it to some distance on the track in which it was badly mangled.

While the three occupants of the three-wheeler, including a child and two women, died on the spot. The injured were immediately rushed to civil hospital, Rupnagar from where two injured Nirmal Singh and Mehar Singh were referred to PGI Chandigarh in serious condition.

However, Nirmal Singh also succumbed to his injuries on way to the PGI.

The dead have been identified as Baljit Kaur (42) of village Suara (SAS Nagar), Karamjit Kaur (50) of Morinda (Rupnagar) and Raman (10) of Morinda and Nirmal Singh of village Rattangarh (Rupnagar).

The injured were identified as driver Sukhdeep Singh of Suara, who was driving the three-wheeler and Mehar Singh of Morinda. All the victims belonged to the same family.

According to Sukhdeep Singh, as they reached the railway crossing, the brakes of the vehicle failed and it got stuck on the track. They did not realise that the train was approaching till it reached near the railway crossing, he said.

Local Civil, Police and Railway officials rushed to the spot.

Later senior railway officials including ADRM Ambala R K Saxena and senior Safety officer Narsingh also joined them.

The railway police have registered a case under section 279, 304-A, 338 of IPC against Sukhdeep Singh.

Meanwhile, Station Supervisor R K Saroj informed that railway department would hold an inquiry into the accident.

The departure of the train was delayed by about one-and-half-hour due to the accident and the rail traffic on Rupnagar-Nangal section was also affected for sometime.

Meanwhile, the residents of the area had for long been demanding that the Alipur and Thali village level crossings should be manned to avoid the occurrence of accidents.

UNI XC JN GL BST1910