Two killed, one injured at level crossing near Perungulathur railway station

The accident happened around 7.10 am when several travelers avoided a roundabout route and tried to sneak through a narrow passage at level crossing no. 32 to reach the railway station, unaware of an approaching EMU bound to Chengalpet from Beach.

While several lucky ones crossed the tracks, the EMU hit three middle-aged men from Rajapalayam. Sakthivel (45) and Jaya-chandran (42) died on the spot while the critically injured Chandrasekharan was rushed to Chrompet government hospital and later referred to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital.

Angry bystanders who witnessed the accident blocked the EMU after it came to a halt just ahead of Perungulathur station. The protesters argued that the incident would not have happened if only the authorities had provided an alternative route before closing the level crossing on June 30. Friday’s was the fourth fatality recorded at the gate as two people have already died in similar accidents since July 1.

The only other way of reaching the station is over a kilometer long and it also involves crossing an open level crossing (No. 33), which can be reached only by walking some distance on the arterial GST road. Hence travelers use the narrow passage at level crossing No. 32 to avoid the accident-prone GST road and reach the station.

Blaming the officials for the fatalities, area residents said the accidents would not have happened had the railway overbridge, which was sanctioned over a year back, had been completed.