ALAPPUZHA: Two men died after the Thiruvananthapuram-Lokmanya Tilak Netravathi Express rammed into the autorickshaw in which they were
travelling at an unmanned railway crossing at Panachuvadu within the Punnapra police station limits here on Monday.
The incident occurred around 1 p.m. According to the police, the deceasedare Rafeeq, 41, Poochamuriparambu, Edaparambil, Palluruthy, and Ashiq, 31, Vattavanaparambu, Palluruthy.
They were on their way to collect fish from Chantha Kadavu when the mishap occurred. “It was Rafeeq who drove the vehicle. He died on the spot. Ashiq died on the way to hospital,” Alappuzha Railway Sub-Inspector Vinod said.
The impact of the accident was so severe that the autorickshaw was thrown metres away from the accident spot. The train resumed its journey half an hour after the incident.
Meanwhile, the villagers alleged that the loco pilots did not sound the horn. Tension prevailed on the scene as some villagers tried to block the train.
However, it was foiled by the police.On September 15, 2009, a 30-year-old autorickshaw driver, Salbi, alias Lawrence, died when his vehicle was hit by the Amritsar-Kochuveli Express at Panachuvadu. The autorickshaw was dragged half a kilometre away from the railway crossing by the train.
On August 8 this year, four people, including two foreign tourists from Germany, died after the Chennai-Alleppey Express rammed into the car in which they were travelling at an unmanned railway crossing at Pupallikavu in Mararikulam.
After visiting the accident spot on August 8, Union Minister of State for Railways E Ahmed had told mediapersons that 45 unmanned railway crossings on the Kayamkulam-Ernakulam coastal rail line would be manned soon.
But to date, no such railway crossing has been manned. According to the Railways, they do not have funds for the purpose.