Two railway officials, a Senior Section Engineer and a Junior Engineer, were killed after soil collapsed during the construction of an underpass in Kota, Rajasthan. A probe has been ordered, while the family of one deceased alleges negligence.
Two railway officials lost their lives after soil collapsed during the construction of an underpass near Dara ki Naal on National Highway 52 in Rajasthan's Kota district, officials said on Friday.
The accident occurred late on Thursday night when railway personnel were supervising work on an underpass being constructed beneath railway tracks. Senior Section Engineer Sanjay Kumar Jha and Junior Engineer Prabhat Singh were trapped under the debris after the soil caved in during the operation.
Official Response
Speaking about the incident, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager (DCM) Saurabh Jain described it as a tragic accident and said a probe had been ordered into the matter. "The tragic accident occurred yesterday at approximately 8 pm while our railway engineers were inspecting the ongoing site work. The soil suddenly caved in, trapping two of our supervisors under the debris. The administration acted immediately to rush them for medical attention. However, they were unfortunately pronounced dead upon arrival. Their bodies have since been shifted from the site to the medical facility," Jain said.
He added that the collapse occurred suddenly during the box-pushing operation being carried out at the construction site. "There is not much the administration could have done to prevent it. The soil along the sides caved in suddenly during box-pushing operations," he said.
Investigation and Safety Measures
Following the accident, the railway administration arranged for the post-mortem examination of both bodies and constituted a team to investigate the circumstances that led to the collapse. As a precautionary measure, the Railways has imposed a speed restriction of 10 kilometres per hour on trains passing through the affected section. Trains have also been directed to halt and proceed cautiously through the area until further instructions.
Family Alleges Negligence
Meanwhile, family members of one of the deceased officials, Prabhat Singh, alleged negligence and demanded accountability. Prabhat Singh's uncle said the young railway officer had joined service only a few months ago and was still undergoing probation. "The deceased was Prabhat Singh, who was posted in the Railways at Ramganj Mandi and was currently serving his probationary period. Although he had been on the job for barely three months, the District Magistrate or senior officials assigned him to such a massive undertaking, a decision that constitutes a gross act of negligence," he said.
The family has also sought a compassionate appointment for a member of the household. "We humbly appeal to the government to grant a compassionate appointment to a family member, specifically his young daughter, to ensure the sustenance and livelihood of the household. We urge the authorities to investigate the officials responsible," he added.
The railway administration has initiated arrangements to transport the bodies of both deceased officials to their respective hometowns.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)