Jamshedpur, July 19 (IANS) A major rail accident was averted on Sunday morning in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district when an overhead electric wire snapped and fell onto the roof of the Tata-Howrah Steel Express while it was crossing a railway bridge over the Subarnarekha River, officials said.
The incident brought the train to a halt midway on the bridge, disrupting rail traffic on the Tata-Howrah section of the Indian Railways. No casualties were reported due to the incident.
According to railway officials, the incident occurred around 7 a.m. near Chandrekha village under the Galudih police station area at the Ghatr railway bridge in the East Singhbhum district.
They said the overhead electric wire snapped suddenly as the Steel Express was travelling from Tatanagar to Howrah, leading to an immediate disruption in power supply and forcing the train to stop.
Passengers on board said they heard a loud creaking sound moments before sparks were seen from the overhead line.
Soon thereafter, the high-tension overhead electric wire fell onto the roof of the train, triggering panic among passengers. However, railway safety mechanisms prevented any serious mishap.
As the train remained stranded on the bridge for an extended period, several passengers disembarked and walked along the railway track towards Galudih. Many later reached the nearby national highway and arranged alternative modes of transport to continue their journey.
Senior railway officials, technical personnel, the Traction Rolling Distribution (TRD) team, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel rushed to the spot shortly after receiving information about the incident.
Power supply to the affected section was suspended before repair work was launched.
Railway authorities said train operations on the Tata-Howrah route have been affected due to the snapping of the overhead electric wire.
Restoration work is underway, and normal services will resume only after the damaged overhead line is repaired and the section is declared safe for operations.
–IANS
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