Accident averted after wheel on Gorakhpur-Yeshwantpur Express breaks
Nagpur, May 29: In a freak incident, a wheel of the speeding Gorakhpur-Yeshwantpur Express broke into two pieces near here on Tuesday morning but alert railway staff averted any tragedy, officials said.
The incident came to light after some unusual sounds emanated from the wheels and the driver stopped the train, but by then, it had already run a few kilometres before coming to a safe halt, said Central Railway spokesperson Sunil Udasi.
There are no casualties in the incident, he said, adding that the alert rail staff have been felicitated for their work.
The affected coach was disconnected, the passengers deboarded and accommodated in an alternative coach before the train departed for its onward journey.
Top officials described the incident as "unheard of" in Indian Railways.
"This is the rarest cases of wheel defect. It's a matter of detailed investigation and laboratory test of materials has been ordered," said Railway Board's Director, Media, Ved Prakash.
Experts will now probe whether the wheel broke due to excessive use or due to some defective materials used in its making.
Presently, the wheels used in the modern Linke Hofmann Busch coaches are imported from Europe and tested rigorously before used in passenger trains.
While ruling out the possibility of more such incidents, the railway officials said random samples could be picked up from anywhere for further scrutiny.
Wheels are checked on various railway tracks across India under varying conditions and the entire process can take three years.
After the testing period, the wheels are used on regular basis before they need to be replaced after 100,000 km running.
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BJP leader Ashoka slams Siddaramaiah for asking people to support son in Varuna segment
Bengaluru (PTI): Taking a dig at Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for calling on the people of his Varuna assembly segment to support and nurture his son Yathindra, just as they did to him, senior BJP leader R Ashoka on Saturday asked whether this was a monarchy to announce a successor.
The Leader of the Opposition also termed it a "bad" development in state politics.
"Siddaramaiah gives speeches claiming that he is a socialist and not a casteist or a nepotist. Yesterday, he asked people to nurture his son politically. All these years, they nurtured him, now his son, and next he will come in six months with a similar request for his grandson. Is this monarchy to announce a successor," Ashoka asked.
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Speaking to reporters here, he said Siddaramaiah seems to have abandoned Ambedkar's principles.
"One has to win through ballots in politics....such appeals in politics will be an offence to the principles with which Ambedkar drafted our Constitution. It is surprising that Siddaramaiah has made such a statement. This is not good for state politics," he added.
Addressing a gathering at his Varuna constituency in Mysuru on Friday, Siddaramaiah said he will remain in politics till his "last breath" and will continue to serve the people as much as he can. He also called on the people of the segment to support and nurture his son and Congress MLC Yathindra politically, just as they supported him.
The opposition leader also took a dig at "dinner parties" within the Congress amid the ongoing power struggle between Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar's camps and speculation about a leadership change, stating that "this is a dinner party government."
"They are not worried about the difficulties faced by the state's people. They are only concerned with who will hold the chief minister post and maintain power. This is betrayal to the people of the state," he added.
Reacting to Ramanagara Congress MLA Iqbal Hussain criticising the state budget presented by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah last week, Ashoka claimed that a number of other ruling party legislators are also unhappy with the Budget, as it did not meet their expectations.
"Hussain has only expressed the opinion of other Congress MLAs. He has spoken the truth. I compliment him," he added.
Responding to a question, Ashoka urged the state government to take action against those indulging in hoarding and black marketing of LPG cylinders amid supply constraints caused by the West Asia conflict.
Pointing out that the supply issues have arisen due to conflict, he said, "Those trying to blame the Centre for the gas crisis should understand this. They should suggest alternatives to address the supply issue caused by the war."
Appealing to the people of the state to cooperate in the current situation, Ashoka hit out at CM Siddaramaiah for doing politics on the issue that has arisen due to the war in the Middle East.
