Cuddalore Train Accident: 3 School Children Killed, Gatekeeper Arrested For Negligence

In Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district, 3 school children were killed after the Krishnaswamy Vidyanikethan school van carrying 4 of its students was hit by a passenger train at an unmanned railway crossing near Semmankuppam on Tuesday morning. The fatal incident that shook Cuddalore happened at around 7:45 a.m. when the van with the 4 students of a private CBSE school Krishnaswamy Vidyanikethan was struck by train number 56813 Villupuram–Mayiladuthurai passenger service.

As per the reports, the school van had tried crossing Level Crossing Gate No. 170, an unmanned but manned gate between Alappakkam and Cuddalore, when it was hit by the train, said officials and eyewitnesses. The van driver, had also suffered severe injuries. He is now under treatment at the Government Hospital in Cuddalore.

Cuddalore Train Accident: Gatekeeper detained

Pankaj Sharma, The gatekeeper has been detained following the incident for his negligence. Witnesses also claimed that he had slept on the job and did not shut the railway gate on right time. After the incident angry mob allegedly beat up Sharma. Yet, preliminary investigations by railway authorities shows that although Sharma started shutting the gate, the driver of the van demanded to cross, a decision that proved fatal.

In a statement issued by Southern Railway it had acknowledged last year it sanctioned the fully-funded underpass at the accident-vulnerable crossing but asserted that they were awaiting permission from the Cuddalore District Collector, that caused delays.

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Later, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has taken a deep sense of grief over the loss of youth and has announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh for each of the victims’ families. Southern Railway has also declared a separate compensation. 

Cuddalore Train Accident: Vijay raised concern

Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) leader and actor-turned-politician Vijay wrote on social media about his sadness and outrage. In a sternly worded tweet on X he posted:

“Reports indicate that, even though there was a decision to build an underpass at the site of the accident, the district collector has not sanctioned it for more than a year. I want both the state and central governments to take immediate action to protect public safety.”

AMMK party leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran also joined the flak, calling for the Ministry of Railways to take sudden precautionary steps to avoid further accidents, particularly at non-interlocked level crossings.

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