Goa-bound Rajdhani Express derails inside tunnel in Maharashtra
Mumbai: Goa-bound Rajdhani Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin derailed inside a tunnel in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra early on Saturday, but there was no report of injury to any passenger, an official said.
The train - 02414 - was going to Madgaon in Goa when it derailed inside Karbude tunnel, approximately 325 kms from Mumbai, around 4.15 am, a spokesperson of the Konkan Railway, which operates the route, said.
A boulder had fallen on the tracks, which led to the derailment, he said.
"The front wheel of the locomotive of Rajdhani superfast train derailed in Karbude tunnel located between Ukshi and Bhoke stations in Ratnagiri region of the Konkan Railway," the official said.
A rail maintenance vehicle (RMV) has reached the site and an accident relief medical van (ARMV) having re-railing equipment has left for the site from Ratnagiri for the restoration work.
"Konkan Railway officials have also rushed to the site to clear the line," he said.
The Konkan Railway operates 756 km-long route between Roha near Mumbai and Thokur near Mangalore. This route, which is spread across three states - Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka - is one of the challenging terrains with many rivers, gorges and mountains.
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
