Bihar Rail Worker Death: Probe Into Shunting Mishap Cites Coordination Gap, Pointsman Blames Loco Driver

Bihar News: A fatal shunting accident at Barauni Junction occurred as preliminary findings indicate that pointsman Mohd Suleman gave an incorrect signal to the loco driver, resulting in 25-year-old Amar Kumar's death.

A preliminary inquiry into a tragic incident at Bihar’s Barauni Junction has revealed that a lack of coordination between two rail employees during a shunting operation led to the death of one of them. The incident occurred on Saturday when 25-year-old Amar Kumar was fatally trapped between the buffers of an engine and a power car.

The joint report, signed by five rail officials, concluded that two pointsmen, Amar Kumar and Mohd Suleman, failed to properly coordinate. This miscommunication resulted in Suleman giving a wrong signal to the loco driver, causing the fatal accident. "A pointsman's job is to detach train engines from coaches," the report noted, as per news agency PTI.

A video of Kumar’s body trapped between the buffers has gone viral on social media, sparking widespread concern.

Bihar Rail Official Death: Pointsman Blames Loco Driver For Reversing Engine Without Receiving Any Hand Signal

The preliminary findings have held Suleman responsible for the mishap. However, Suleman, in his written statement, rejected this claim and blamed the loco driver. He explained that he and Kumar had disconnected the engine and the power car by detaching the centre buffer coupler, a device that connects an engine to a coach.

Suleman detailed that while the engine had moved slightly away from the power car, the driver reversed the engine without receiving any hand signal from him. "Due to this, Amar got sandwiched between the two buffers," Suleman said, as quoted by PTI. Buffers are shock-absorbing devices placed at both ends of train engines and coaches, designed to minimise collision impacts.

The report noted that the 15204 Lucknow-Barauni Express terminated at Barauni Junction at 8:10 am. The station master assigned the task of detaching the engine from the power car to Kumar and Suleman. The accident occurred at approximately 8:29 am, as revealed by CCTV footage from the station.

Kumar's body was eventually retrieved at 10:15 am after the engine and power car were separated and was then sent for a post-mortem examination. Rail officials have also announced that a senior-level inquiry has been ordered into the incident.