Bhadohi: On Monday morning, eight
school going children were killed after their van collided with a train in
Bhadohi district of Uttar Pradesh.
The incident occurred at an unmanned
level crossing near Madho Singh Railway station in the district. At least seven
or eight other kids were also grievously injured in the incident and have been
taken to a hospital in Varanasi. The van was carrying 19 children — all
students of the Tender Heart School — to the school.
A report by India TV website said
that the van hit Manduadih-Allahabad passenger train at an unmanned
crossing in Mehandipur. Unmanned crossings are a major cause of accidents,
which is why Railway authorities have taken steps to put up security around
crossings. There are thousands of such crossings across the country, manned by
gate men, or with at least a barrage or a gate. The Railways, however, have not
yet been able to cover all the crossings, due to lack of funds and coordination
amongst various departments.
The police have reached the scene and
an investigation has been launched. According to a report by Navbharat Times,
the Railways had put a gangman in charge of manning the crossing. The man had
been deployed by the police on contractual basis. The report further says that
the man had indicated the driver of the van to stop, but the signal was missed
by the driver, resulting in the accident.
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