Express trains mow down 4 persons in similar but separate accidents in Chennai suburbs

CHENNAI: Within a matter of hours, four people were mowed down by trains in similar but two separate accidents in the west and southern suburbs of Chennai on Wednesday night.

Of them, two of them died in Chrompet and two in Ponneri.

The Chrompet accident happened late on Wednesday night. According to officials, Tinsukiya Express travelling from Kolkata to Tambaram last night was involved in the accident.

The incident came to light only on Thursday morning when some members of the public saw the bodies of two people with severe injuries lying by the side of the track. They immediately alerted the railway officials. By then, however, both were long dead.

The officials sent the bodies to Chrompet government hospital for post-mortem examination, and began investigation.

During inquiry, they found that the deceased were Sathish (40) from Chitlapakkam, staff of a bank in Nungambakkam, while the other was identified as Pranav (21), who was working in a private company in Royapuram.

The railway police have registered a case in this regard and are conducting further investigation.

In the Ponneri accident, two painting workers, identified as Sekhar and Subramanian, died near the Ponneri railway station after they were hit by an Express train while they were crossing the track on Wednesday night.

Police said both were natives of Salem. "It looks like instead of using the foot over bridge at the station, they crossed the track from one platform to the other when the Express train ran over them. The two were trying to reach Chennai Central station," officials said.