Railway worker dies, 4 hurt as train hits trolley

Patna: A railway worker was killed and four others were seriously injured when the Dibrugarh-bound Awadh Assam Express (15910) collided with a track inspection trolley near Maharani village, between Kadhagola and Semapur railway stations, around 2.20pm on Friday.
The site falls on the Barauni-Katihar section under the Sonepur division of East Central Railway (ECR).
The deceased was identified as Pramod Kumar. The four other railway workers injured in the crash were taken to Katihar hospital where their condition was stated to be stable, Sonepur divisional railway manager (DRM) Vivek Bhushan Sood.
"The incident is deeply saddening. We are in touch with the families of those affected and are extending every possible support.
A high-level inquiry will be conducted to determine the cause of the accident," Sood said.
According to initial information, the collision occurred when the express train struck the trolley from behind while it was moving slowly on the track. Preliminary findings indicated that the team had been engaged in track maintenance and safety-related duties at the time of the incident.
A team has been constituted to investigate the incident with the inquiry focusing on whether technical failures or procedural lapses contributed to the mishap. Senior railway officials are also reviewing CCTV footage from nearby stations to reconstruct the events leading up to the collision, said officials from the Sonepur and Katihar divisions.
Sood said the railways had sanctioned funeral allowances in accordance with the rules and had prioritised the process for ex gratia payments and compensation for the bereaved and injured.

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