Sioni: A bus of the Shahdol-Nagpur express train derailed in Madhya Pradesh’s Seoni district on Friday, although no casualties were reported in the accident, officials said.
They said a major tragedy was averted after the pilot applied the brakes as soon as the rear coach of the train (No. 11202) derailed near Khairrangi-Gangatola on the Nainpur-Chhindwara-Nagpur section of the South Eastern Central Railway (SECR).
They added that the accident occurred at around 12 noon when the Seat Luggage Rack (SLR) wheels came off the tracks while the train was on its way from Shahdol in Madhya Pradesh to Nagpur in neighboring Maharashtra.
Upon noticing the derailment, the train conductor applied the emergency brakes and stopped the train, preventing a potential major accident, officials said.
Railway officials from Ninpur in Mandla district rushed to the spot in an accident relief medical train soon after receiving information about the train derailment. Teams from the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the Rapid Response Government and the local administration also arrived at the site.
The derailed coach was later detached from the train and the Shahdol-Nagpur Express resumed its journey at around 2.30 pm.
SECR’s Nagpur Division Railway Division Director Deepak Kumar Gupta and Divisional Safety Commissioner Deepchand Arya reached the spot and started an investigation into the cause of the derailment.
Gupta told PTI that a possible disruption in the tracks may have led to the derailment of the bus.
“No passenger was injured in the accident. Railway officials have disinfected the tracks and train services will continue as per schedule,” he added.
The Nagpur-Shahdol Express (No. 11201), which was parked at Ballari station till the tracks were restored, was later allowed to proceed to its destination, officials added.
