Barabanki: On Wednesday night, a speeding dumper broke through the railing of a flyover and fell approximately 25 feet onto the Barabanki-Gonda railway track.
The incident occurred shortly before the Amritsar-Saharsa Garib Rath Superfast Express (12204) was to pass on the adjacent line. Barabanki Superintendent of Police (SP) Arpit Vijayvargiya said the dumper fell directly onto the tracks, and a stone landed on the train, damaging one coach. He added, “Happily, all passengers are safe.”
According to the North Eastern Railway (NER), the incident occurred around 9:30 p.m. near Budhwal railway station, about 30 km from Barabanki. The dumper (UP 43 AT 9967), carrying plywood from Sitapur to Bihar, lost control on the Ramnagar-Fatehpur Road flyover and fell onto the tracks below. Along with the vehicle, a large stone also fell from the flyover, landing directly on the roof of coach G2 of the passing Garib Rath.
The impact shattered window panes, severely damaged the coach’s roof, and panicked passengers. Passenger Abhishek Chaudhary said, “There was a loud explosion-like sound from above, and the entire coach shook. Children started crying in fear.” Another passenger, Manoj Singh, said the train “shaken violently” as soon as the stone hit, scaring passengers.
Sensing danger, the loco pilot applied emergency brakes and stopped the train.
The dumper driver, Pankaj Kumar, a resident of Gonda, was found trapped inside the collapsed cabin. Despite two hours of effort, he could not be freed until rescuers cut open the mangled carriage. He was taken to the district hospital in critical condition.
The accident also damaged overhead electric lines and bent power poles, halting train traffic on the section. Railway and police teams, led by Railway Safety Officer Shilpi Kanaujia, arrived at the scene and began clearance and restoration work. The mechanical team replaced the broken glass in coach G2, and a new engine was installed.
Rail traffic was affected for about six hours, delaying about 24 trains. The Garib Rath resumed its journey towards Bihar at around 3:30 am.
