Railways felicitated N. Latha, a gatekeeper, for showing the presence of mind in averting an accident at the level crossing between Neyattinkara and Nemom on September 10.
Ms. Latha was presented a cash award by Divisional Railway Manager Sunil Bajpai at a function in the divisional railway headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday. Additional Divisional Railway Manager P. Mahesh and senior officials were present.
Around 4 p.m. on September 10, the school bus of the New Higher Secondary School, Nellimoodu, near Kanjiramkulam, which was carrying 50 students home, dashed against the level crossing gate 7 between Neyyattinkara-Nemom.
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The incident happened immediately after the gate was closed by Ms. Latha for the onward movement of Train 56716 passenger from Neyyattinkara. The gate keeper immediately alerted the Station Master, Neyyattinkara, who informed the loco pilot to stop the train.
As the school bus had entered the railway premises an accident could have resulted had the train not been stopped. Her timely action averted a major accident, according to Railways.