Railway workers protest after colleague’s fatal accident

A 12-hour protest by railway workers at the Electric Loco Shed ended with senior officials’ assurance to address their demands. Additional Divisional Railway Manager Rajender Kumar Kalra and Senior Divisional Electric Engineer Sachin Goyal were trapped inside the office from Thursday morning to 9:30 pm.

The protest followed a severe accident yesterday involving 38-year-old railway worker Mangal Das, who suffered an electric shock and fell from the engine roof on Wednesday evening. Das sustained serious head injuries, including brain hemorrhage, facial fractures and 40-50 per cent burns. He underwent surgery and remains unconscious on a ventilator at Christian Medical College.

Northern Railway Men’s Union president Ajay Kumar blamed Senior DEE Sachin Goyal for negligence and demanded his transfer. Kumar alleged private workers, hired for filter cleaning, turned on the power without ensuring all workers were clear of the engine roof. They while blaming the DEE that matter had forced the private workers to complete the work quickly due to which workers ignored the safety protocols and tragedy happens.

The protest ended after senior officials promised to register a case against the private contractor and send Goyal on long leave.