Five railway employees were run over by the Dehra Dun-Delhi Jan Shatabdi Express on Saturday while they were working on the rail tracks between Sahibabad and Ghaziabad.
The tragic mishap took place at mid-day around 11-15 a.m. when Permanent Way Inspector Ramesh, Gang Mate Ram Ratan and three gangmen -- Radhey, Ajay and Pooran -- were engaged in maintenance work between Arthala village and Vasundhara Sector-1. All of them were killed on the spot.
The mishap triggered loud protests by railway employees who gathered at the spot and blocked the tracks for well over two hours demanding action. They dispersed only after senior railway officials reached the scene of accident and assured all possible help to the families of the deceased.
According to a Northern Railway official, the driver was being questioned by senior officials in Delhi to ascertain the reason behind the accident. They are trying to find out how the victims did not notice the train coming towards them. “One of the probable reasons could be poor visibility today due to fog. However, all possible reasons are being looked into,” said the official, adding that any further action would be taken on the basis of the findings.
The families of the victims would be given ex gratia compensation and other benefits as per the rules, he said.
Tragically, it was the third such mishap in the National Capital Region within a week. Six gangmen were killed and one injured when a local train coming from New Delhi hit them between Ballabhgarh and Asouti on the Delhi-Palwal-Agra stretch this past Tuesday while they were crossing the tracks after completing their work.
The same day, six persons, including a woman and a two-year-old child, were run over near Pataudi in Haryana by the Ajmer-bound Shatabdi Express from New Delhi.
