(New Delhi) The Indian Railways announced on Monday that it had ordered an investigation after a freight train traveled a distance of 70 kilometers without a driver in the north of the country.
“We have ordered an investigation,” Deepak Kumar, spokesperson for Northern Railways, told AFP the day after the incident, adding that there had been no casualties.
On Sunday, around fifty wagons, loaded with gravel, traveled solo at 100 km/hour, from the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab (north), before being interrupted in their crazy escape by wooden blocks placed on the tracks.
The incident took place departing from Jammu station where the train had parked to allow a crew change, local media reported. Shortly after the driver and his teammate disembarked, the train rolled down the slope alone. All level crossings on its route have been closed to prevent any accidents.
India, which has one of the largest railway networks in the world, has seen a large number of deadly train accidents in its history. However, security has improved in recent years thanks to investments and technological improvements.
The deadliest accident in the country’s history remains that of June 6, 1981 when, in the state of Bihar (east), seven wagons from a train crossing a bridge fell into the Bagmati River, causing between 800 and 1000 deaths.