The driver of a passenger train locomotive and a lorry driver were killed on the spot when the train crashed into the lorry passing through an unmanned level crossing near Bengaluru International Airport (BIA) on Monday afternoon. The two vehicles were completely damaged and the police took more than two hours to extricate the bodies from the mangled remains.
The Devanahalli-Yeshwantapur passenger train was heading from Devanahalli to Yeshwantapur when it collided with the lorry, laden with stone slabs, at the Kannamangala Gate near Yerachaganahalli around 1.40 pm, the police said. The Railway Police said the lorry, bearing the registration number KA-30-5717, had taken a turn from the Bellary main road near BIA and was heading to new layouts in the area to deliver the consignment. The police said the lorry driver saw the approaching train, but tried to speed and cross the track before the train approached. The lorry was dragged for 40-50 feet due to the impact. The train left Devanahalli around 1.30 am and reached the level crossing within minutes.
The loco pilot, Suresh Kumar (34), a resident of Hebbal, died when stone slabs from the lorry came crashing into his cabin. “The cabin is made out of fibre and the impact completely damaged it and killed Suresh on the spot. There were around 40 passengers at the time of the accident,” the police said. Suresh was married to Subhashini and the couple has a son and a daughter. S. Mani, Divisional Railway Manager, South Western Railway, Bengaluru Division said that the lorry driver ignored all rules, signage and came across the path of the running train.
Train services were not disrupted, except a train going to Chikballapur, which was delayed by 15 minutes.
The lorry driver is yet to be identified. Lorry owner, identified as Narayana of Bagalur, said that he had given leave to his regular driver and the latter had made alternative arrangements.