The Indian Railways announced on Monday that it had ordered an investigation after a freight train traveled 70 kilometers without a driver in the north of the country.
“We have ordered an investigation,” Northern Railway spokesman Deepak Kumar told AFP the day after the accident, adding that there were no casualties.
On Sunday, about fifty vehicles loaded with gravel traveled alone at a speed of 100 kilometers per hour, from the northern state of Jammu and Kashmir to Punjab (north), before their crazy path was blocked by pieces of wood placed on the tracks.
Local media reported that the accident occurred while leaving Jammu station, where the train stopped to allow for a crew change. Shortly after the driver and his colleague got off, the train rolled down the slope alone. All crossings on its route have been closed to prevent any accidents.
India, which has one of the largest railway networks in the world, has witnessed a large number of fatal train accidents in its history. However, security has improved in recent years thanks to investments and technological improvements.
The deadliest accident in the country's history is still the accident that occurred on June 6, 1981, when seven cars fell from a train that was crossing a bridge in the state of Bihar (east), causing the deaths of between 800 and 1,000 people.
