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CUDDALORE, July 8: Three school students were killed in this district on Tuesday when the van they were travelling in collided with a passenger train, even as different versions of the tragic incident surfaced. The gatekeeper posted at the level crossing in question has been suspended and arrested, Southern Railway, which apologised for the "unfortunate incident," said. Around 7.45 am, the school van carrying the students attempted to cross the railway level crossing Gate No. 170 (a non-interlocked manned gate) between Cuddalore and Alappakkam, and was hit by Train No. 56813 Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai passenger, it added. Due to the impact, the van was flung a distance away from the level crossing. The loco pilot managed to stop the train after traversing some distance, police said. TV visuals showed the mangled remains of the yellow-painted school vehicle. While the Southern Railway said the level crossing was closed and the van driver insisted it be opened to avoid delay, however, the latter and one of the injured students claimed the gate was open. "Tragically, 3 students expired and 1 student & driver have been injured and admitted to the Government Hospital," a Southern Railway release in Chennai said. One of the injured students succumbed in a hospital. Among the deceased were a 16-year-old girl of Class XII who died on the spot and her younger brother studying in Plus One who succumbed at the government hospital, police said. There were four students and the driver in the vehicle when the incident happened. Cuddalore is located about 190 km from Chennai. According to Southern Railway, preliminary inquiry revealed that the gate was in a "closed condition when the van arrived." "However, the van driver insisted to allow the van to cross the gate to avoid delay in reaching the school, which was wrongly permitted by the gatekeeper, violating the rules & protocol. The gatekeeper could not have opened the gate as per the rules. The gatekeeper has been suspended and process has been initiated for his dismissal from service, and FIR has been lodged against him for this criminal negligence, and the gatekeeper has been arrested," it said in the release. Meanwhile, both the injured persons-a class XII student and the driver Shankar, claimed the railway gate was open. The student, who identified himself as Vishwesh, told a TV channel that "neither was the gate closed, nor was there any signal." "The gate was open, there was no train horn (blaring). So the driver proceeded and suddenly the train came and the accident happened," he said. The van driver, undergoing treatment, also said the gate was open.Meanwhile, one person who rushed to the aid of the victims upon witnessing the accident suffered electric shock from a damaged live wire, officials said. He has been hospitalised. (PTI)
CHENNAI: The Chennai Railway Division has suspended two gatekeepers -- Karthikeyan and Ashish Kumar -- for sleeping while on duty at Level Crossing (LC) gates 40 and 45 between Thakkolam and Thirumalpur railway stations on the Chengalpattu-Arakkonam section between 12.30 am and 1 am on Thursday. They were found to be asleep during an inspection by a team of officials from the divisional engineering department. The inspection was part of the 15-day safety drive initiated at LC gates, following the collision of Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai passenger train and a school van at LC gate in Semmankuppa ...Read More >
Kota (Rajasthan), Jun 8 (PTI) Rail traffic between Fateh Singhpura and Dungeria station in Kota division of Western Central Railway has resumed after Gurjar protesters vacated the railway tracks following receiving assurance from the government that their demands will be considered. Some members of the community were holding a protest on rail tracks and stalled a passenger train in Bharatpur district on Sunday afternoon after taking part in a Mahapanchayat to press their various demands, including on reservation. The agitators had kept the rail services halted for over three hours between Fa ...Read More >
Haridwar: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sakshi Maharaj on Sunday demanded that hotel, dhaba and eatery owners on the Kanwar Yatra routes should display their names and identities on boards outside their business establishments. The owners, who hide their identities under fake names, on the Kanwar Yatra routes should not be spared, he told reporters here. "Tampering with faith of the Hindu devotees during the Kanwar Yatra will not be tolerated," said the Unnao MP. The food shops on the Kanwar Yatra routes should have a board outside with the names of their owners clearly written on them, h ...Read More >
Cuddalore, Jul 9 (PTI) A new gatekeeper assumed charge here at the Semmankuppam manned level crossing where a train hit a van killing 3 school-going children on July 8. The new appointee, Anand Raj told reporters he has been working in the railways for the past 2 years and he has now been posted to Semmankuppam to man Level Crossing No 170, a non-interlocked, manned crossing. Also Read | Delhi-NCR Rains: Waterlogging and Traffic Disruptions in Several Areas As Sudden Spell of Heavy Rain Batters National Capital; IMD Issues Red Alert (Watch Video). "Interlocking" refers to locking the railwa ...Read More >
New Delhi, Sep 30 (PTI) As many as 21,803 people were killed in 24,678 railway accidents in the country in 2023 with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh reporting the highest fatalities, according to a report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). In 2023, among all railway accidents, there were 56 cases due to fault of driver while 43 train accidents took place due to mechanical defects like poor design, track faults, bridge or tunnel collapse. The analysis of classification of railway accidents revealed that incidents of 'fall from trains or collision with people at track' constituted majo ...Read More >
Mumbai: An article by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi terming the 2024 state assembly polls as 'match-fixing' stirred a political controversy in Maharashtra. Statement Of Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the Congress leader was insulting the voters and Ladki Bahins of Maharashtra. He said, "Rahul Gandhi has accepted his defeat in Bihar. As long as Rahul Gandhi keeps giving himself false assurances, his party can never win". Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule's Statement Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule criticised Gandhi, saying his party w ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 9 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi has emplaned for Namibia -- the final stop of his five-nation visit -- after wrapping up his State Visit to Brasilia where he met Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and also attended the 17th BRICS Summit in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro. Taking to X, the PMO wrote: "PM @narendramodi has boarded for Namibia, the final destination of his tour" Also, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randir Jaiswal wrote on X: "PM @narendramodi concludes a productive visit to Brazil and emplanes for Namibia. A memorable visit t ...Read More >
Cuddalore, Jul 9 (PTI) A new gatekeeper assumed charge here at the Semmankuppam manned level crossing where a train hit a van killing 3 school-going children on July 8. The new appointee, Anand Raj told reporters he has been working in the railways for the past 2 years and he has now been posted to Semmankuppam to man Level Crossing No 170, a non-interlocked, manned crossing. "Interlocking" refers to locking the railway boom at the level crossing by linking it to the signalling system, which ensures safety. A non-interlocked gate is not connected to the signalling system and could be opened ...Read More >
Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), Jul 8 (PTI) Three school students were killed in this district on Tuesday when the van they were travelling in collided with a passenger train, even as different versions of the tragic incident surfaced. The gatekeeper posted at the level crossing in question has been suspended and arrested, Southern Railway, which apologised for the "unfortunate incident," said. Around 7:45 am, the school van carrying the students attempted to cross the railway level crossing Gate No. 170 (a non-interlocked manned gate) between Cuddalore and Alappakkam, and was hit by Train No. 56813 ...Read More >
Some members of the community were holding a protest on rail tracks and stalled a passenger train in Bharatpur district on Sunday afternoon after taking part in a Mahapanchayat to press their various demands, including on reservation. The agitators had kept the rail services halted for over three hours between Fateh Singhpura and Dungeria stations, affecting about 10 to 12 trains on the route, the officials said. The protesters had gathered on the railway tracks and stopped the 54794 Mathura-Sa ...Read More >
Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), Jul 8 (PTI) Two people were feared killed after a school van collided with a running train in Semmanguppam in the district on Tuesday morning, police said. The van carrying students was flung a distance away from the level crossing after it was hit. The loco pilot managed to stop the train after traversing some distance, police said. Senior police officials who reached the spot rushed the injured to the government hospital here. Superintendent of Police S Jayakumar had to rescue the railway gatekeeper who was attacked by the members of the public allegedly for neglig ...Read More >
Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh), Apr 2 (PTI) The Vijayawada Division of the South Central Railway has recorded its highest-ever gross revenue of Rs 5,907.20 crore along with record freight loading of over 40.6 MT during the financial year 2025-26. Vijayawada Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Mohit Sonakiya noted that passenger revenue stood at Rs 1,523.90 crore, registering a growth of 9.9 per cent, while the Division transported over 74.1 million passengers. "Vijayawada Division achieved its highest-ever gross revenue of Rs 5,907.20 crore and freight loading of 40.631 million tonne during FY26," ...Read More >
Cuddalore: A school van crossing the railway tracks at Semmamkuppam in Cuddalore district was hit by a train on Tuesday morning killing three children and injuring another and the van driver. While Southern Railway claimed the van driver forced the level crossing guard to open the gate saying they would be late for school, witnesses and the injured schoolboy said the gate was open when the van passed through.The van was ripped off from the rear side in the impact and dragged by the train for almost 50 metres. The injured schoolboy Viswesh said, "We usually cross the railway gate around 7.30am ...Read More >
CHENNAI: The railway department has formed an inquiry committee to investigate the accident case where a train collided with a school van in Cuddalore. According to a Thanthi TV report, officials from the railway safety department have issued summons to 13 people, including gatekeeper Pankaj Sharma and van driver Shankar, instructing them to appear before the committee. Three school students were killed in Cuddalore district on Tuesday when the van they were travelling in collided with a passenger train. Around 7:45 am, the school van carrying the students attempted to cross the railway lev ...Read More >
Kota (Rajasthan), Jun 8 (PTI) Rail traffic between Fateh Singhpura and Dungeria station in Kota division of Western Central Railway has resumed after Gurjar protesters vacated the railway tracks following receiving assurance from the government that their demands will be considered. Some members of the community were holding a protest on rail tracks and stalled a passenger train in Bharatpur district on Sunday afternoon after taking part in a Mahapanchayat to press their various demands, including on reservation. Also Read | Anjali Varmora Suicide Case: Young Model Ends Life in Gujarat's Sur ...Read More >
Cuddalore (Tamil Nadu), Jul 8 (PTI) Two students were killed when the school van they were travelling in collided with a passenger train at Semmanguppam in this district on Tuesday, officials said. Due to the impact, the vehicle carrying students was flung a distance away from the level crossing after it hit the running train. The loco pilot managed to stop the train after traversing some distance, police said. The railways suspended the gatekeeper for violating safety rules, and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the kin of deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh to the grievously injured and Rs 50,000 f ...Read More >
Ahmedabad, June 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) With Ankur Bhattacharjee, Quadri Aruna, and Adriana Diaz all winning their singles rubbers, Kolkata ThunderBlades beat reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers 9-6 in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday. Kolkata's victory saw them move into the playoff spots, occupying fourth with 29 points. Goa, with six more game wins on the board, moved level on points with leaders Jaipur Patriots and U Mumba TT. The tie opened with a gripping clash between two of the league's best: Goa captain Harmeet Desai took the opening game 11-10 after a stunning com ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jun 26 (PTI) Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday flagged off a new weekly express train from Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh to Bengaluru in Karnataka through video conferencing from here. According to the railway ministry, the train would depart at 3 pm every Friday and reach the capital of Bengaluru at 7.35 am on Sunday. On the way back, it would depart from Bengaluru at 3.50 pm every Sunday and reach Gwalior at 10.25 am on Tuesday. According to the Ministry, the weekly train will have a total of 22 coaches. Vaishnaw, while virtually addressing the people of Madhya Pradesh, ...Read More >
CHENNAI: Eyewitness accounts from Semmankuppam revealing that gatekeeper Pankaj Sharma dozed off, leaving the gate open unattended, might not hold water if official records come into play in the ongoing investigations into the Cuddalore train tragedy that killed three school kids. Highly placed railway sources disclosed to DT Next that gatekeeper Pankaj Sharma shared the Private Number Exchange (PNE) with the Station Master about the train approaching Alappakkam station at 7.04 am on Tuesday. PNE is a confidential number exchanged only between the keeper of a non-interlocked level crossing g ...Read More >
Kota (Rajasthan), Jun 8 (PTI) Rail traffic between Fateh Singhpura and Dungeria station in Kota division of Western Central Railway has resumed after Gurjar protesters vacated the railway tracks following receiving assurance from the government that their demands will be considered. Some members of the community were holding a protest on rail tracks and stalled a passenger train in Bharatpur district on Sunday afternoon after taking part in a Mahapanchayat to press their various demands, including on reservation. Also Read | Bodoland Lottery Result Today, June 8, 2025: Assam State Lottery Sa ...Read More >
Hyderabad: The legacy of Sardar Hari Singh Nalwa, who once stopped the Afghan forces at the Khyber Pass, is not merely history but a living inheritance, said Dr A. Tajinder Pal Singh Nalwa, his descendant. "If we could protect India from invasions then, we must now protect our children's minds from disintegration." Dr Nalwa was speaking to Sikh educators, community members, students, and lawyers at a seminar hosted by the Sikh Education Society at Guru Nanak High School Lecture Hall. Presided over by former DGP Tejdeep Kaur Menon, president of the Telangana Sikh Society, the seminar focused ...Read More >
CUDDALORE: At least two children and a bystander were killed when a passenger train rammed into a school van that attempted to cross a manned level crossing at Semmankuppam, around 10 kilometres south of Cuddalore, at about 7: 45 am on Tuesday. According to preliminary information, around ten people were rushed to the Cuddalore Government Medical College Hospital with serious injuries. With the van badly mangled in the impact, official sources said the death toll could rise. The two decease children have been identified as Niwas (12) from Thondamanatham and D. Charumathi (16) from Subramania ...Read More >