Eklavya Atray. New Delhi
A speeding train ran over six people, including a woman and a child, near Gurgaon, leading to angry protests and stone-pelting, giving tense moments to hundreds of passengers aboard the New Delhi-Ajmer Shatabdi Express. The train was stranded for hours because of the agitation in Pataudi, 26 km from Gurgaon. The incident took place at 7.30 am.
The train's engine was damaged in the accident. Another engine had to be sent from Delhi to Pataudi, but it could not reach the train because of the mob. "The mob did not let the other engine reach the train," a railway official said. "The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is now being sent there to handle the situation."
Eyewitnesses said the victims were trying to cross the track soon after a goods train passed a railway crossing in Hali Mandi area. They did not realise that the Shatabdi was coming on the other track and were run over. "Normalcy has been restored along the Delhi-Jaipur route," a police official said.
District authorities have announced a compensation of Rs5 lakh for the family of the deceased and said they would bear the cost of treating the injured.