Lonavla train hit by boulder, lucky escape for passengers

Three passengers were injured after a boulder came crashing down on a Mumbaibound express train near Monkey Hill near Lonavla on Monday morning. Due to heavy rains in the area, the hilly areas of Western Ghats are prone to landslides and boulders falling off is a common occurrence. The passengers were seated inside a sleeper coach.

Such was the force of the boulder crashing down that it tore through the roof of the Hubballi-Lokmanya Tilak Express train and fell at the feet of the passengers. “The incident took place at around 5 am. The train was about to enter a tunnel,” said a senior Central Railway official.

Rail movement along the route, though, was not affected. The train was moved to Karjat, inspected, before it commenced its journey again.

Rail officials said that two passengers sustained injuries on the knee and hand and were treated at Kalyan railway hospital. The third injured passenger has been admitted to a private hospital in Kalyan.The train was carrying more than a thousand passengers.

As a precautionary measure, rail officials said that CCTV cameras would be installed in the area to keep a close watch on such incidents. “These cameras would alert us if any boulder falls on the track. It is difficult to cover the Monkey Hills using a net because of the height,” a Central Railway official said.