In a tragic accident on June 20, the Dibrugarh-bound Awadh Assam Express collided with a stationary railway inspection trolley near Maharani village, close to Patna in Bihar, resulting in the death of one railway worker and serious injuries to four others. The mishap occurred in the early morning hours while the inspection team was engaged in routine track maintenance work.
According to railway officials, the inspection trolley was parked on the same track the express train was scheduled to pass through. A lapse in coordination between the ground inspection team and the signal control room is suspected to have caused the fatal collision. The deceased, a senior track inspector, was reportedly overseeing the inspection when the express train rammed into the trolley at high speed.
Emergency rescue teams responded quickly, shifting the injured workers to a nearby hospital, where two are reported to be in critical condition. The East Central Railway has launched a high-level inquiry into the incident to determine whether proper safety protocols were followed and to fix accountability.
Railway unions have condemned the incident and demanded strict enforcement of safety guidelines for workers operating on live tracks.