Rayagada: A day after three railway personnel were killed when the engine of the Howrah-Jagdalpur Samaleswari Express caught fire after hitting a maintenance tower car in Rayagada district Tuesday, the railways department placed under suspension another official Wednesday.
Santosh Kumar, who was working as a helper has been suspended after he was found guilty of dereliction of duty. On Tuesday, three station masters of Keutuguda and Singapur road were suspended soon after the incident.
Notably, three persons engaged in the maintenance tower car repairing the overhead transmission lines, died following the train mishap. The deceased were Suresh, a railway technician and a native of Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh, Sagar, a senior section electrical engineer and another technician Gouri Naidu, both residents of Rayagada.
The mishap took place after the engine, the front guard-cum-luggage van and a general second class coach of 18005 Howrah-Jagdalpur Express got derailed after hitting the maintenance tower car engaged in some work.
The engine caught fire after it hit the tower car and later, it was detached from the rake, the spokesperson said, adding only the engine was affected and the train and passengers remained unharmed, while three staff engaged in the tower car died.
Sources said the Samaleswari Express left the Rayagada railway station at 4.15 pm and left for Jagdalpur after making a brief stopover at Singapur road station.
However, the mishap occurred only five minutes after leaving the Singapur railway station. It is claimed that the express train was allowed to pass on the same track due to wrong signal on which the maintenance tower car had passed 40 minutes before and was carrying out some repairing works.
The maintenance tower car had seven personnel including the driver, an assistant driver and five technicians and an engineer. The technicians were busy on their work near Angur village when the express train came rushing towards them and hit the maintenance tower car.
The mishap was so severe that the engines of the express train and the tower car got derailed and caught fire due to short-circuit. Bothe engines were charred beyond means with flames seen rising from them for a long period.
