Runaway India-Nepal border train sparks panic

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Runaway India-Nepal border train sparks panic

It was eventually brought to a stop, without crashing or claiming any casualties, when it was diverted into a shunting yard close to Janakpur station in Nepal Photo: Alamy

A locomotive driver on the India-Nepal cross border train sparked panic when he climbed down for a quick glass of water, only for his unmanned diesel engine to race off without him.
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As Rafik Kawari looked on helplessly from the platform at Jayanagar station in Bihar, India, his train quickly gathered speed and raced over the border at more than 30 miles an hour.

As local police and officials were mobilised to stop the runaway train before it crashed or killed anyone, the locomotive powered on over several bridges, through tunnels, and left the crisis management team trailing in its wake.

Officials blamed staff shortages at the Nepal Railways Corporation for their failure to stop the engine, while technicians said it had been in neutral gear when it moved off from the platform and that they still do not know what caused it to run away.

Source: Runaway India-Nepal border train sparks panic - Telegraph

 

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