Report blames lack of coordination for rail staffer’s death, Rahul blames neglect of railways
While the preliminary report has held pointsman Suleman responsible for the incident, he has defended himself and held the loco driver responsible
A lack of coordination between two railway employees during a shunting operation led to one of them getting stuck in the buffers of the engine and a power car, causing his death, in Barauni Junction of Bihar on Saturday (November 9), a preliminary inquiry has found.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has blamed the railways for the death, saying it was a result of “long-standing negligence and neglect”.
What report says
The joint report, signed by five railway officials, said the two pointsmen — Amar Kumar and Mohd Suleman — failed to properly coordinate with each other, due to which Suleman gave the wrong signal to the loco driver, resulting in 25-year-old Kumar’s death. A clip of the body stuck between the buffers has been widely circulated on social media.
A pointsman’s job is to detach train engines from coaches. The preliminary report has held Suleman responsible for the incident.
Also read: Train accident in West Bengal: Coaches of Shalimar Express derail, no casualty
Pointsman’s defence
However, Suleman has defended himself in his written submission and held the loco driver responsible for the accident.
Suleman said he and Kumar disconnected the engine and the power car by detaching the centre buffer coupler — a device that connects the engine with a coach.
He further said the engine moved a bit away from the power car and, when Kumar went to close the buffer coupler, the driver reversed the engine without any hand signal from him (Suleman).
“Due to this, Amar (Kumar) got sandwiched between the two buffers,” Suleman said.
What led to death?
A buffer is a shock-absorbing device on both ends of a train’s engine and coaches, designed to reduce the impact of collisions between bogies.
According to the joint report, the 15204 Lucknow-Barauni Express terminated at Barauni Junction at 8.10 am and the station master assigned the task of detaching the engine from the power car and the rest of the train to Kumar and Suleman.
“While detaching the engine and the power car, pointsman Kumar got stuck between the two and died on the spot,” the report said.
Also read: Gujarat: Three workers killed in collapse of structure on Bullet Train route
Rahul blames railways’ neglect
Rahul Gandhi blamed the death on “long-standing negligence and neglect”.
Sharing the news on X, he wrote, “When will the common people be safe Modiji? You are just busy keeping ‘one’ Adani safe. This horrific picture and news is the result of long-standing negligence, neglect and deliberate low recruitment by the Indian Railways.”
Footage from CCTV cameras installed at the station showed that the accident occurred around 8.29 am. Kumar’s body was retrieved after separating the engine and the power car at 10.15 am and sent for post-mortem.
According to railway officials, another senior-level inquiry has also been ordered.
(With agency inputs)
