Zeenews Bureau
Mumbai: Two persons, including the motorman, died and several others were injured when an under construction pipeline fell on the moving suburban train near Thane on Friday morning. An official confirmation regarding the death of the driver is awaited.
Eleven other persons have been rescued and have been shifted to nearby Thane civil hospital, authorities said.
The identity of the other dead person is yet to be ascertained.
“Our medical team has been reached on the spot and are trying to rescue the trapped persons,” C Mudarikar, Public Relation Officer of Central Railway said.
The incident happened between Thane and Mulund on the Central Railway’s mainline connecting Mumbai CST to Kalyan. The mishap took place when a part of the under-construction Kopri water pipeline bridge fell on a Kalyan-bound train at around 1030 hours
The accident has lead to a complete halt of rail traffic on the section. All trains including long-distance trains are stuck at various stations. Rail services on the Central line were disrupted due to the incident, crippling trains between suburban Kurla and Thane.
However, Western and Harbour lines are operating smoothly.
According to railway spokesperson, it will take around 30 hours to restore the full train services on the route. Authorities have also started additional train as well as bus services for the commuters who want to travel from affected Thane-Kalyan route. Till then services from CST will terminate at Ghatkopar.
Although, rescue operations are still on but the pipe burst and the resultant flooding of the area is hampering the operation. Efforts are being made to clear the water accumulated on the site.
Fire-fighters and police officials are also present at the spot.
First Published: Friday, October 23, 2009, 15:18