Passengers unhurt even as boulders hit train

Seven coaches of the train derailed around 3.50 am. The passengers escaped unhurt as the train was moving at a slow pace. “No casualty or injury has been reported,” said Aneesh Hegde, Chief Public Relations Officer, South Western Railway, Hubballi, in a statement. The passengers were later moved to Salem and Bengaluru through the Tirupattur route by a special train. Fifteen buses were arranged at Toppuru for those who went to Bengaluru by bus.

Due to the derailment, several trains - KSR Bengaluru-Ernakulam Superfast Special, Nagercoil Jn-KSR Bengaluru, Salem-Yesvantpur Express, Coimbatore-Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Ernakulam-KSR Bengaluru, KSR Bengaluru –Nagercoil, Mysuru-Mayiladurai were diverted. Two trains, Salem-Yesvantpur and Yesvantpur-Salem were cancelled.