Major Tragedy Averted in Nagpur: Train Halts Just in Time to Avoid Collision with School Bus Carrying 40 Students at Khaparkheda Railway Crossing (Watch Video)

In Nagpur, a major tragedy was averted on Thursday after a school bus carrying 40 students got stuck at the Khaparkheda Railway Crossing. According to reports, the bus was trapped for 10 minutes in the middle of the level crossing at Khaparkheda, a village in Maharashtra, when the Itwari-bound Chhindwara-Itwari Express approached. 

Another four-wheeler was also stuck when the gateman closed the gate on both sides. The incident occurred when a school bus was heading towards Khaparkheda Thermal Power Station residential colony. Suddenly, the vehicle got stuck at the railway crossing and left students in an alarming situation with the bus driver and conductor. Seeing this, local people towards the track and started waving, signalling the train's loco pilot to stop it.

Visuals From Incident Site:

Around 40 students narrowly escaped a potentially disastrous situation when their school bus was trapped at a level crossing in Khaparkheda for about 10 min, with the Chhindwara-Itwari Express approaching.#SchoolBus#Khaparkheda#SchoolStudents#LokmatTimespic.twitter.com/mcXnAhk2R1

— Lokmat Times (@lokmattimeseng) July 26, 2024

Some passers-by started waving a red flag picked from the railway kiosk at the train which had got a green signal to pass the stretch. Another Good Samaritan picked up a plastic barrier used for roadside civil work and placed it in the middle of the track.

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Efforts from the local, helps the loco pilot to notice the situation and halt the train before the level crossing. Simultaneously, the level crossing gates were opened to allow the school bus and the car to pass.

Khaparkheda police station senior inspector Dhanaji Jhalak said no one was injured in the horrific incident. "One of the gates of the level crossing possibly closed before the other one, allowing the school and a car to enter the crossing and get trapped in the middle. As a result, it left no scope for the two vehicles to move to safety," told Jhalak to TOI.