Passengers of the Ahmedabad-Puri Express in Odisha had a near-death experience on Saturday night when 22 coaches of the train got detached from the engine and rolled down the track for over 10 kilometres.
Seven railway officials have been suspended for the lapse.
According to a statement issued by the East Coast Railway, the train was brought to a shuddering halt after the railway staff put stones on the track. No passengers were hurt in the incident.
A video clip of the mishap shows nervous onlookers shouting from the platform asking passengers in the train to pull the emergency brake.
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Railway authorities believe that the incident most likely occurred because the skid-brakes were not properly applied to the wheels of the coaches.
Meanwhile, a high level probe has been ordered to ascertain the cause that led to the detachment of coaches from the engine.
According to a report released by the government of India in 2012, over 15,000 people die every year due to rail related mishaps in the country which boasts of 20,000 operating trains and more than 22 million daily passengers.
