Title - Two killed, five injured as train hits truck, jeep in MP

Harda (MP), Apr 10 (PTI) In a freak accident, two persons were killed and five others injured when the Kurla-Varanasi Kamayani Express hit a jeep and a dumper truck at a railway crossing between Bhirangi and Harda railway stations in Madhya Pradesh, authorities said today. The incident occurred last night when the crossing was closed and a jeep was waiting to cross the railway track, Harda railway station manager, MP Parashar told reporters. However, a speeding dumper truck rammed into the stationary jeep from behind following which it broke past the level gate and landed on the track along with the truck. At that time Kamayani Express was passing-by and it first hit the jeep and later the truck following which its driver Subhash Ustad and cleaner Santosh were killed on the spot. Due to impact of the collision, the jeep fell off the track while the dumper got entangled into the engine and was dragged almost 50-60 meters before coming to a halt, he said. Both the vehicles got badly mangled into the incident while the train engine also suffered damage. Train driver Rajendra Kumar, two train passengers, jeep driver Kishore Chandure and a woman were injured in the mishap, Parashar said, adding they were admitted in the Harda district hospital from where two of them were discharged after first-aid. The accident affected the rail traffic for nearly three hours on both Up and Down lines and the train resumed its onward journey only after the engine was replaced with another engine requisitioned from Itarsi, the station manager added.