A passenger train collided with a pickup truck at an unauthorised crossing in the Ambassa Manu section of Tripura’s Dhalai district on Thursday. Two people, including the driver of the truck, died in the accident.
In a statement issued Thursday evening, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO), Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR), said, “Information was received today at about 1:12 pm when DN 15663 Agartala-Silchar Express was passing in Ambassa-Manu section. Suddenly, a mini truck entered onto the track. The sudden entry of the mini truck onto the railway track resulted in the collision of the train with the truck, leading to the unfortunate reported casualty of the driver of the truck along with 1 other person…”
The loco pilot tried to stop the train, but it rammed into the truck before the wheels could stop. The damaged truck was cleared from the track at 1.30 pm and the train left the site at 1.34 pm.
The NFR CPRO also said, “NF Railway authority would like to bring to the attention of everyone that the location of this unfortunate incident is an unauthorised crossing.”
He added that railway authorities have tried to close that unauthorised crossing area several times but have not been successful due to resistance from locals.
On October 5, railway officials from Agartala went to that spot and tried to close the unauthorised crossing, but could not succeed.
