THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Vande Bharat Express travelling from Kasaragod to Thiruvananthapuram hit an autorickshaw at Akathumuri railway station near Varkala on Tuesday night. The driver reportedly jumped out of the autorickshaw just in time and suffered minor injuries.
The incident happened around 10.25pm when the autorickshaw reportedly entered the railway track from the platform area. Police suspect that the autorickshaw driver was under the influence of alcohol. The injured driver, Sudhi of Kallambalam, was taken to hospital.
As the train approached at high speed, it hit the autorickshaw, completely crushing one side of it. Preliminary investigation suggests that the autorickshaw lost control before entering the platform area.The train was halted after the accident and services were restored after the autorickshaw was removed from the track. The Vande Bharat reached Thiruvananthapuram Central station about 1.5 hours late.