Palakkad: Four including two women died after being hit by Kerala Express in Shornur in the district. The deceased have been identified as Laxmanan, Valli, Rani and Laxmanan, from Tamil Nadu, who worked as contract sanitation workers with the railways.
The fatal accident took place near Shornur Bridge when they were removing garbage from the track. The bodies of the trio were found while a search for the fourth one was on in and around the Bharathapuzha River.
Preliminary investigations hint at their unawareness of the approaching express train while at work. Seeing the fast-approaching Thiruvananthapuram-bound Kerala Express, these hapless workers were unable to take cover and all four were killed instantly. These casual workers are attached to a railway contractor who had taken up the cleaning job on either side of the railway track in the area.
Reports say these workers did not realise the express train would pass over the bridge when they were walking on it. The local police in collaboration with the Railway Protection Force have begun a probe into the gruesome accident.
The tragic happening comes days after four passengers were injured after an explosion in a Rohtak-Delhi passenger train. An official said the explosion took place near Sampla station soon after the train departed from Rohtak. Onlookers added that the explosion led to chaos while the train was immediately halted.
Reports suggested that the blast might be the result of a large quantity of chemicals that the train carrying got inadvertently ignited.
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