Patna: An investigation is underway into a serious safety violation that led to a collision between a pickup van and a passenger train at a level crossing in Fatuha under Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) Saturday night, officials said. The railways has approached the Patna district transport officer (DTO) to identify the owner of the pickup van so a case can be pursued against those responsible for violating safety norms.According to Fatuha RPF inspector Vinod Kumar Vishwakarma, the incident occurred when the Islampur-Hatia Express (18623) was approaching the crossing. The pickup van forcibly broke through a closed and locked gate and got stuck on the tracks.Moments later, the oncoming train rammed into the vehicle, dragging it for some distance before coming to a halt, Vishwakarma said.The occupants of the pickup van managed to flee just before the collision, avoiding casualties. “It was sheer luck that no lives were lost. This could have turned into a major tragedy,” the RPF inspector said.Railway safety personnel rushed to the spot and removed the damaged vehicle from the tracks. The train remained stranded for nearly two hours, from around 8.30pm to 10.30pm, before it was cleared to resume its journey towards Patna en route to Hatia, he said.
