Srinagar: A youth died after being hit by a moving train in Wanbal area in outskirts of Srinagar on Tuesday, taking the number of deaths due to train accidents in the last one week in Kashmir to three.
As per Railway Police officials the deceased 28-years-old Zakir Ahmad Khatana, a resident of Tankipora Lolab, was crossing the railway track when he was hit by the train.
The Railway Police official said the body of the deceased was handed-over to the family after medical-legal formalities.
It may be mentioned that Tuesday’s rail accident is the third such incident in the last one week in Kashmir.
Earlier on February 19, a youth was killed after being hit by a train in between Hamray-Sopore railway section in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Waseem Ahmad Sheikh son of Noor din sheikh a resident of Lalpora Baramulla, age near about 20 years, was hit by a train resulting in his on the spot death.
Two days later, the body of a person was found on a railway track at Sheikhpura in Budgam, while officials told Greater Kashmir that even as mystery shrouded the incident, “it apparently looked that the person was run over by a train”.
Following the three train accidents, Northern Railways, Kashmir has issued an advisory in public interest.
“Trespassing across railway tracks is a punishable offence. Under section of 147 of Indian Railways Act, trespassing across railway tracks is punishable offence with a penalty of imprisonment upto 6 months and or fine upto Rs 1000. Cross only by using Foot Over Bridges/Subways” the advisory stated.
When contacted, Chief Area Manager, Kashmir, Saqib Yousuf said that efforts were being made to create awareness among train drivers so that they “make use of long whistling in critical sections such as Budgam and Srinagar”.
“We urge people not to walk on the railway track. We are getting to see that people use earphones and walk on the tracks which is quite fatal,” said Yousuf. “Logistically it is not possible to deploy manpower all along the tracks,” he added.
With four accidents caused by moving trains in the Srinagar-Budgam stretch in October, the Railways in Kashmir had launched various mitigation measures, while also urging the general public to not move around on the railway tracks.
As per officials, Yaseen Ahmad Wani from Baghi Mehtab in Srinagar was busy on his mobile phone when a moving train bearing registration number 04614 on way from Budgam to Srinagar hit and crushed him to death in November. Earlier, a 27-year old man died after he was hit by a train at Nowgam railway station on October 15.
Feroz Ahmed Malla was declared dead by doctors at Srinagar’s SMHS hospital. In the first week of October, a teenage girl died after she was hit by a train in Srinagar.
The girl was identified as Shakeela Akhter of Poonch. On July 30, a 63-year-old man from Anantnag was crushed to death by train resulting in his on-spot death.