Two persons were injured when a train rammed into a car at an unmanned level crossing at Deva Nagar, Vayalveli, Reddiarpalayam.

According to eye witnesses, at around 11.15am, the car was at the railway crossing and stopped just before the Chennai — Puducherry passenger train (train no. 56037), but unfortunately it was too close to the tracks. The car was thrown around 20 feet from the level crossing and was totalled in the impact.

The two passengers, Vasu and his wife Indira, both agriculture workers were immediately rushed to the Indira Gandhi Government General Hospital and Research Institute for treatment. Both of them sustained injuries, but are stable. The area where the road crosses the railway tracks is unmanned, and according to the local residents, this is the second time that a car was hit by a train at the level crossing.

There are no gates and the road is a shortcut that leads to the 100 feet road. Several people use the area beyond the railway tracks as a place to teach driving as well. In the previous accident, there were only minor scratches to the car, but this time the impact was worse.

“There is never a warning of when the train is arriving. Most of the time it is cows that are hit, but now with the population in the area expanding, we are scared to allow our kids to play in the area,” one of the residents Selvi said. There are around 100 families that live on either side of railway crossing.