UP woman helps avert train mishap

Shyama Devi, a resident of Pure Chandu village in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district, about 150 kilometres from here, was returning home after work when she spotted a major crack in the rail tracks near Chilbila railway station on the Lucknow-Varanasi section of Northern Railway.

Shyama Devi immediately informed a railway employee who was passing by. However, by the time the rail staff could do anything, she saw the Delhi-bound Kashi Vishwanath Express train speeding towards the spot.

 According to reports, she took off her woollen shawl, which happened to be of red colour, ran  to the tracks and started waving it vigorously in a bid to draw the driver’s attention.

Fortunately, the driver spotted the red shawl and applied the emergency brakes. Though the train came to halt, some compartments had crossed the cracked track. As the speed was slow, it was not derailed, sources said.

“I was initially dumbstruck when I saw the approaching train...but then I realised that I had a red shawl...I started waving it with all my power..fortunately the train halted and everyone is safe”, she said. 

Railway officials said had the train not come to a halt and passed over the fractured track at its normal speed, a mishap would have been inevitable.