KARUKUTTY (ANGAMALY):A tragedy of massive scale was averted as the Trivandrum-Mangaluru Express (No 16347) derailed near Karukutti railway station, near Angamaly, in the wee hours of Sunday.
The 12 bogies of the train derailed around 2.16 am and came to a halt after hitting the slightly elevated crushed stone track bed. Though the bogies stopped short of overturning, the panicked passengers got out of the train and crossed the adjacent track. Had it not been for the timely intervention of the railway officials at the signal centre, the Chennai-Trivandrum Express would have crossed the spot at the same time from the opposite side leading to a massive tragedy.
Although a few sustained minor injuries, most of the passengers on board were unhurt. An elderly woman, Vijayamma from Thiruvananthapuram, sustained a shoulder bone fracture .
After the initial assessment, the railway officials said the accident happened because of a crack on the track. P K Mishra, Additional General Manager, Southern Railway and Prakash Butani, Divisional Railway Manager, Trivandrum, rushed to the spot to oversee relief and rescue operations. ● More on P5
Ruling out a sabotage attempt, Mishra said a four-member panel would investigate the incident. He said the accident was "the biggest derailment in the region." Local residents said the accident did not make a noise loud enough to wake them up.
As soon as the neighbourhood woke up, the two residents' associations of the locality - Karukutti Central Residents' Association and Highway Karukkutti Central Association - swung into action. They helped several passengers to get down from the train. "Many were in a state of shock and could not get down as the train was in a tilted position. It was raining and the absence of proper lighting made rescue operations tough. Moreover, the snakes on the tracks and a pack of dogs also posed difficulties," Joseph said.
Members of the All Kerala Railway Passengers Association also rushed to help. The bogies were removed and the repair works of the railway tracks have been started. The railway officials said the service on the route could be reinstated by Monday.