CUDDALORE: As per the villagers’ request, the Southern Railway has appointed a Tamil-speaking gatekeeper at Semmankuppam gate. He took charge on Wednesday, a day after the accident.
The accident, which occurred when Villupuram - Mayiladuthurai passenger train rammed into a school van at the manned level crossing on Tuesday morning, left three students – T Charumathi (16) and her brother T Chezhian (15) of Subramaniapuram village, and V Nimalesh (12) of Thondamanatham – killed. Another student, V Viswesh (16), brother of Nimalesh and a classmate of Chezhian, sustained injuries along with van driver C Sankar.
All the students involved in the accident are studying at Krishnaswamy Vidyanikethan School in S Kumarapuram. The school remained closed for the second day on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Nimalesh’s body was handed over to his relatives. His brother Viswesh was discharged from hospital the same day. However, the relatives did not allow the media at the funeral, expressing anger over photographs of Viswesh taken at the hospital by media persons and members of the public.
Cams, random checks must at level crossings
Chennai: In the aftermath of Cuddalore accident, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has asked the officials of the Southern Railway and other zones to implement a series of measures including installing surveillance cameras at all level crossings (LC), expediting interlocking of all pending LC gates, daily random checks of voice recordings at non-interlocked gates, and standardising and rectifying speed breakers and warning boards at all LC gates. In the review meeting on Wednesday, the SR has also been asked to conduct a 15-day inspection drive at LCs.
A release said it has also been decided to fast track the construction of subways, road overbridges and underpasses to eliminate level crossings.