7 injured after train hits tempo in Shahdara

Seven persons were injured after a Delhi-bound train, coming from Bagpath, collided with a stationary tempo near the Ashok Nagar railway crossing in Northeast Delhi’s Shahdara area on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

Senior police officials said that the passengers, who suffered minor injuries, were standing recklessly at the train’s gate. Either their hand or head was fanning outside the running train (74026) when it hit the tempo around 1:20 pm, police said.

According to the police, the accident took place near Durga Puri chowk, a few metres away from the railway crossing, where the tempo was parked.

The victims told the Railway police that they were hit with some sharp object.

The investigating officer said the injured were identified as Vikas, Sushil, Ashif, Shyamu, Irshad and a 20-year-old unidentified youth. While six men sustained minor injuries on the hand or elbow, the unidentified youth had suffered a severe head injury and was in a critical condition, police said.

Post the collision, other passengers on the train raised an alarm and informed the Railway unit of the Delhi Police. A police team admitted the injured to the Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital.

A senior official said the police had initiated legal action against the tempo driver.

The driver-cum-owner of the tempo, Yashpal, was arrested in a few hours after the accident.

Yashpal has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code. A case has been registered at the Old Delhi Railway station. Further investigation is underway.

Sources privy to the investigation said that since the accident took place a few metres away from the Ashok Nagar railway crossing, there was no barrier. “The land where the tempo was reportedly parked is mostly encroached upon by locals in the area,” said another senior police officer.

One of the injured told the police that they all had placed their hands or head out of the train when they were hit.