Jamshedpur, July 19: A significant rail disaster was narrowly avoided on Sunday morning in the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand. The Tata-Howrah Steel Express came to a halt near the railway bridge over the Swarnrekha River when an overhead electric (OHE) wire snapped and fell onto the train’s roof.
Fortunately, there were no reported injuries among passengers, but train operations on the Tata-Howrah route were disrupted.
According to railway sources, the incident occurred around 7 AM near the Ghatra railway bridge, close to Chandrekha village. The OHE wire broke suddenly as the Steel Express was passing through, leading to an immediate halt due to the loss of power supply.
Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud crackling noise followed by visible sparks before the high-tension OHE wire fell onto the train. This caused a brief panic among passengers; however, thanks to safety measures, a major accident was averted.
As the train remained stationary on the bridge for an extended period, several passengers disembarked and walked along the railway tracks towards Galudih, seeking alternative transportation to continue their journey.
Upon receiving news of the incident, senior railway officials, a technical team, the Traction Rolling Distribution (TRD) unit, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel arrived at the scene. Power supply to the affected section was cut off before repair work commenced.
Railway officials stated that train operations on the Tata-Howrah route have been affected due to the broken OHE wire. Repairs to the damaged wire and securing the line are currently underway. Normal rail operations will resume only after these tasks are completed.
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