Mansa, May 24
A major accident was narrowly avoided near Mansa in Punjab after an object was found obstructing the railway track. The incident occurred when train number 12137, the Punjab Mail, en route from Delhi to Firozpur, was forced to stop near kilometre mark 245/01, close to the Mansa railway station.
According to officials, someone had deliberately placed an iron cot (charpai) across the railway track during the night. The alertness and quick action of the train’s loco pilot averted a potential disaster, as the train was brought to a halt just in time.
The obstruction due to a cot was detected before the train could run over it. That's how possible derailment or major damage was prevented.
The Government Railway Police (GRP) without losing a minute launched an investigation and scanned CCTV footage from the nearby area. The search and hunt operations by police team led them to a local resident, who was identified as Lali. He was subsequently arrested.
The initial findings indicate that the suspect may have been planning to cause a serious accident. Police said that further investigations are being carried out to determine his motive.