5 killed as train rams car at unmanned level crossing

Five persons, including a child, were killed on Sunday when their car was hit by Hapa-Tirunelveli Super Fast Express at an unmanned level crossing near Aroor railway station.

While three persons died on the spot, two others, were rushed to a hospital, where they succumbed to injuries.

Sumesh, 27, Kalathil House, Aroor; Nelfin, 3, the only son of Wilson and Libby, Purthicadu, Aroor; Chellappan, 50, Kallumkal, Thayicaducherry; A K Karthikeyan, 62, Ammaparambil, Elamkunnapuzha, and K A Narayanan, 60, Kochuparambil, Perumbalam, were among the dead.

Sumesh is identified as the driver and owner of the car. Sumesh and Nelfin were rushed to Lakeshore Hospital by the locals.

The incident took place at Vijayambika link road railway crossing near Aroor Kalathil Temple at 2.30 pm.

They were returning after attending an engagement function of Sumesh’s brother, Aroor police said.

Sumesh was going to drop his relatives Chellappan, Karthikeyan and Narayanan, at Aroor Temple bus stop.

Nelfin, son of Wilson, who is a friend of Sumesh, was also accompanying Sumesh, police said.

Bodies of three persons were kept at the Cherthala Taluk Hospital.

Bodies of Sumesh and Nelfin were kept at the Lakeshore Hospital mortuary.

Following the accident, the train was stopped. Soon, locals and train passengers carried out rescue work.

The agitated locals blocked the emergency vehicle of the Railways, and also Trivandrum-bound Netravati Express and a passenger train.

They prevented Revenue Minister Adoor Prakash and Union Minister of State for Power K C Venugopal from visiting the accident spot.

The locals placed concrete blocks across the track to prevent any train from passing through the area.

They said the agitation would be continued till the Railways posted a person to man the level cross.

Locals allege that poor visibility was the reason for the accident. They had lodged several complaints with the Railways about the area being accident-prone.

Trains diverted

Following the accident and the protest by the locals at Aroor, all the trains via Alappuzha have been diverted via Kottayam, said Railway officials. They include Kozhikode-Thiruvanthapuram Jan Shatabdi express, Ernad Express, Raptisagar Express, Intercity Express and Chennai-Alappuzha Express.

The Bokkaro- Alappuzha Express was terminated at Ernakulam. The passenger trains to Alappuzha and Kayamkulam from Ernakulam were cancelled.