An elderly couple from Tamil Nadu’s Tenkasi district thwarted a potential train disaster in the early hours of Sunday morning. Shanmugaiah and Kurunthammal sprang into action after a truck collided with a railway track barrier, causing it to fall onto the tracks between Bhagavathipuram and Aryankavu stations. Their heroic efforts halted an oncoming train, averting a potentially catastrophic derailment.
The incident unfolded around 12:50 a.m. when a truck carrying plywood veered off the ghat road, plummeting 18 feet onto the railway tracks below. Startled awake by the deafening crash, Shanmugaiah and Kurunthammal rushed to the scene armed with only a torchlight.
As they reached the tracks, they noticed a train rapidly approaching. With split-second decision-making, the couple sprinted along the tracks, waving their torchlight frantically to catch the attention of the train’s operator, known as the locopilot.
Thanks to their swift actions, the locopilot of an empty train en route to Punalur managed to halt the vehicle safely, just in time to avoid a collision with the obstruction on the tracks. Railway officials lauded the couple’s bravery, emphasizing that their alertness prevented a potentially disastrous outcome.
Following the incident, railway authorities swiftly mobilized earth movers to clear the debris from the tracks, restoring normal rail traffic by 6 a.m. However, the Chennai Egmore-Kollam Express experienced a delay of over two hours as a result of the incident.
The courageous actions of Shanmugaiah and Kurunthammal serve as a poignant reminder of the extraordinary heroism that can emerge from even the most unexpected circumstances. Their selfless intervention undoubtedly saved countless lives and prevented significant damage to railway infrastructure.
Team Profile
- News Writer
- Rays Roy, hailing originally from Wayanad, Kerala, now resides in Hyderabad. Having completed intermediate studies at Little Flower Junior College, Rays is currently a first-year student pursuing a BA in Digital Communication at The English and Foreign Languages University in Tarnaka.
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