Mathura train mishap: 'Drunk' staffer was busy on phone, kept his bag on throttle; video surfaces

On September 26, an electric multiple unit (EMU) train, which had originated from Shakur Basti in Delhi, derailed and climbed onto a platform at Mathura Junction. Two days after the incident, a video of the incident has surfaced showing a railway staffer entering the engine cab and carelessly putting his bag on the throttle, before getting engrossed in his mobile phone.

The video shows the staffer named Sachin, as identified by railway officials, entering the cab after the loco pilot got relieved from his duty and came out of the cab. In the video, Sachin can be seen entering the DTC cab (engine) while watching his mobile phone. Later, he carelessly places his bag on the throttle of the engine and gets busy on his mobile again.

Within a minute of him entering the cab, the train starts moving, breaks the dead end and half of its portion climbs onto the platform.

Five railway staffers, including a loco pilot and four technical staff, have been suspended following an investigation into the incident in which one person was injured.

A joint report in the Tuesday Mathura train incident has also found that the staffer was mildly drunk, sources said, as per news agency PTI. The report said that a breathalyzer test conducted on Sachin showed a reading of 47 mg/100 ml which is considered to be mildly drunk.

Meanwhile, the railway staffer Sachin in a written statement said that as per the instruction of his duty in-charge, he asked for the key of the cab from the loco pilot who told him that it was inside the cab.

According to his statement, when he entered the cab and put his bag inside there, the train started moving on its own. He said that he got scared and by the time he applied the emergency brake, it had entered the platform.

In his statement, he also blamed the loco pilot for keeping the train functions in "switched on" position. However, the loco pilot in his statement said that he had handed over the key to Sachin before the latter entered the cab.

(With agency inputs)

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