Days after elderly couple Shanmugaiah and Vadakithiammal helped prevent a major train accident near Sengottai, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday felicitated them and handed over a cheque for ₹5 lakh, from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund, to them.
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At an event in the Secretariat here, Mr. Stalin honoured them with shawls, and handed over the cheque. Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena was present.
The couple woke up to a loud noise when a truck fell on the railway track between Bhagavathipuram and Aryankavu railway stations in the wee hours on Sunday, after hitting the crash barrier of the ghat road.
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Realising the situation, they displayed extraordinary courage, and ran a few metres along the track near Bhagavathipuram railway station to stop an approaching train.
Thankfully, owing to a precautionary measure, the train was moving at 30 kmph on the ghat section and the couple’s brave act led to the crew stopping the train at a safe distance.
The obstruction was removed from the track using earth-movers and the track was cleared for rail traffic around 6 a.m. that day.