53-wagon freight train runs for over 70 km from J-K to Punjab without drivers
Jammu/Chandigarh, Feb 25: A diesel locomotive-hauled freight train travelled more than 70 kilometres from Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua to a village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district without its drivers on Sunday, officials said.
No casualty or damage to property has been reported, they said and added that an inquiry has been ordered into the incident that took place between 7.25 am and 9 am.
The 53-wagon train loaded with chip stones was on its way to Punjab from Jammu, the officials said.
The train had stopped at the Kathua railway station in Jammu for a driver change and it seems that it began to roll down a slope gradient track on the Jammu-Jalandhar section, a spokesperson of the Northern Railway said, citing preliminary information.
Both drivers -- loco pilot and assistant loco pilot -- were not on board the freight train, the officials said.
The train gained speed along the way, finally coming to a stop on a steep gradient near Unchi Bassi railway station in Punjab, they said.
Divisional Traffic Manager, Jammu, Prateek Srivastava told PTI that "an inquiry has been initiated to know the exact cause of the incident. Prima facie, it seems that the train started rolling down the slope gradient towards Punjab without the driver and his assistant".
He said the train came to a halt near Unchi Bassi due to steep gradient, after covering a distance of more than 70 km.
The officials said that the train was successfully halted with the assistance of sandbags.
Whether the train had been "secured" properly at Kathua on the down gradient is a matter of investigation, the spokesperson said and added that an in-depth probe is underway.
Railway officials and staffers were put on alert along the route.
Government Railway Police (Jalandhar) Sub-Inspector Ashok Kumar said upon receiving information about the runaway train all rail-road crossings on the Jalandhar-Pathankot section were secured.
Video: Goods Train Runs 70 Km Without Driver In Punjab, Causes Scare https://t.co/OLkLhOhJrN pic.twitter.com/pB2KYQifol
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Whoever wins heart of Gandhi family in Congress will become CM: Basavaraj Bommai
Gadag: In Congress, whoever wins the hearts of Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi will become the Chief Minister. This is a shame for the democratic system, said former Chief Minister and MP Basavaraj Bommai.
Speaking to the media in Gadag, he said there is a clash among leaders due to excessive desire for power. Cabinet ministers are trying to retain their positions. Some leaders are demanding ministerial posts saying they have won elections multiple times, while newcomers are also seeking ministerial positions. He added that the Chief Minister is trying to retain his position.
Bommai said Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior leader and feels he should have been given the Chief Minister post fairly.
He further said that Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar function as the high command, referring to Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, and added that Congress is a family-based party. He reiterated that whoever wins the support of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi becomes the Chief Minister, calling it a shame for the democratic system and alleging that the party has weakened internal democracy.
Responding to a question about allegations that officials in the government are not working, he said, “The people who made them are angry. The Congress has cheated the people who elected them. The government is completely at a standstill. No work has been done. About Rs 14,000 crores provided in Siddaramaiah's last budget have not been used. About Rs 10,000 crores were not used in the year before that either. How will the officials work if there is political conflict? If the CM says one thing and the DCM says another, this government has completely come to a standstill in the eyes of the people.”
