A major rail accident was narrowly avoided on Thursday morning after the Gonda–Asansol Express collided with a rice-laden truck at the Rohini–Nawadih railway crossing between Jasidih and Madhupur in Jharkhand's Deoband. The incident occurred around 9:38 am on the down line when train number 13510, travelling from Gonda to Asansol, struck the truck bearing registration number JH15X-8874 while it was crossing the tracks.
Following the collision, train movement on both the up and down lines was temporarily disrupted. Railway officials later restored traffic on the up line at around 10:55 am, allowing the Asansol–Jhajha passenger train to pass cautiously.
A video of the incident has surfaced on social media, capturing the moment of impact. Eyewitnesses said the crossing witnessed heavy traffic at the time. Gatekeeper Pankaj Kumar stated that the train had not been given a signal due to congestion at the crossing, yet it arrived on the down line and collided with the truck, causing panic in the area.
During the collision, two motorcycles were also hit by the truck. However, the riders managed to escape, and no casualties have been reported so far. Railway officials, RPF personnel, and local police reached the spot, controlled the crowd, and began clearance operations.
Railway authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, examining gate operations, signalling systems, and possible negligence by the truck driver.
