As many as six labourers died after they were reportedly run over by a goods train at the Jajpur Road railway station on Wednesday. Three others also sustained critical injuries in the incident.
The incident occurred when the labourers were taking shelter under the stationary goods train during nor’wester rain in the locality in the afternoon, sources said.
“The labourers were run over by the train after it moved suddenly,” they added.
Sources claimed that the bogies of the goods train were stationary at the railway station. The engine-less bogies moved due to gusty winds during the nor’wester rain.
The injured labourers were rescued by locals and rushed to the Jajpur Road Area Hospital, where they were declared brought dead by the doctors. One of the injured was referred to the SCB Medical College Hospital in Cuttack. The identity of the deceased was yet to be ascertained.
The labourers had been engaged by a contractor for carrying out repairing work of the tracks.
Getting information, Jajpur SP Vinit Agrawal, Additional SP Sanjay Patnaik, Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel, Vyasanagar Tehsildar and senior railway officials rushed to the spot.
Police have sealed the area as a large crowd gathered at the accident site. Locals blamed the careless attitude of the railway officials for the mishap.
The incident took place a few days after the deadly train accident in Baleswar district.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed deep grief over the incident and sanctioned an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
Patnaik also expressed his sympathies to the bereaved families. He directed to provide the necessary treatment to the injured and prayed for their early recovery.