LPG cylinder found on railway tracks in Kanpur state

A serious train accident was averted early Sunday (September 22) after a liquefied gas cylinder was found lying on the tracks near Perambur railway station in Kanpur district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

The cylinder was discovered in front of a freight train, whereupon the train driver immediately applied the brakes.

According to police, the incident occurred at 8:10 am when the train was travelling from Kanpur to Allahabad.

“The bottle was found to have a capacity of five liters and was empty. It was removed from the track. The case is under investigation,” local police said in a statement to the news agency. PTI reported.

This is already the fourth incident of this kind in September in which unknown perpetrators attempted to derail trains.

On September 8, the Kalindi Express, travelling from Prayagraj to Bhiwani, hit an LPG cylinder parked on the tracks in Kanpur.

After hitting the cylinder, the train came to a stop and the driver noticed other suspicious objects, including a petrol bottle and matchboxes.

On September 10, Indian Railways said there had been 18 attempts to derail trains across the country since August. India today reported.

With the latest attempt in Kanpur, the number of incidents has risen to 19.

Since June 2023, a total of 24 such incidents have occurred in which items such as LPG cylinders, bicycles, iron rods and cement blocks were found on tracks.

According to the railway company, 15 of the 19 incidents occurred in August and four in September, including the recent train derailment attempt in Kanpur.

Also read: Tirupati Laddu Row: Andhra CM Naidu announces statewide temple ‘clean-up’ drive