2 school students killed as train hits van at railway crossing in Tamil Nadu

Cuddalore: In a tragic accident, two students were killed and six others were injured when a train hit a school van while it was crossing a railway track at Semmankuppam near Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday morning. The death toll is likely to go up as the injured are in critical condition.

According to reports, the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai Express, en route to Chidambaram, crashed into a school van while the vehicle was crossing an open railway gate. The injured were rushed to the Cuddalore Government Hospital. The van was completely damaged in the crash.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the accident and the alleged lapses of the gatekeeper.

The accident took place around 7.45 am on Tuesday at Railway Level Crossing Gate No. 170, which is a non-interlocked gate. Soon after the accident, a Railway relief train with medical supplies was dispatched to the site, Southern Railways said in a statement.

According to Southern Railways, the gatekeeper lifted the gate because the van driver insisted on opening it to reach the school early. The spokesperson noted that the gatekeeper should have ignored him, as the safety rules of Railway train operations do not allow him to do that. As he violated the safety rules, he has been suspended and action has been taken to remove him from service in accordance with the existing procedure, the official added. 

Railways expressed deep regret for the loss of lives and for the injured. The Railway doctors are also monitoring the patients admitted into the Government Hospital. If required, the injured will be shifted to Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, for expert medical care.

The Railways has announced an ex-gratia of ₹5 lakh to the kin of the deceased, ₹2.5 lakh to relatives of the grievously injured and ₹50,000 to other injured. A committee of officers from the safety, operations, and engineering branches has initiated an investigation into the accident, Railways officials said.