National Desk, 22nd September: A potential railway disaster was narrowly avoided early Sunday morning in Kanpur district, Uttar Pradesh, when an empty gas cylinder was discovered on the railway tracks near Prempur railway station. The loco pilot of a passing goods train spotted the 5-litre cylinder at around 5:50 am and immediately applied emergency brakes, preventing a possible accident.
Personnel from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) quickly responded to the site, removing the cylinder from the tracks. Authorities have launched an investigation into how the cylinder ended up on the railway line. While initial checks confirmed the cylinder was empty, the incident has raised serious concerns regarding railway safety.
This incident follows a similar scare in Kanpur on September 15, when a damaged gas cylinder and other suspicious items were found near a railway track. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has since called for heightened vigilance and strict action against those responsible for such incidents, as investigators are considering possible sabotage attempts in both cases.