Nine persons were injured on Monday when a Patna-bound train from Islampur in Nalanda district rammed into vehicles at a level crossing, 35km from the state capital, proving former railway minister Dinesh Trivedi’s concern about the security of Indian Railways right.

Railway officials said it was a minor mishap but eyewitnesses claimed that the victims were lucky because the train had slowed down as it was approaching Daniyawa station. Despite that, six vehicles were damaged in the mishap.

The incident occurred near Daniyawa Bazaar railway station around 7.30am. Sources said the condition of two of the injured persons was critical. They have been admitted to Nalanda Medical College and Hospital.

Sources said the level crossing at Gate-9A usually witnesses heavy traffic throughout the day.

A railway official told The Telegraph: “The Islampur-Patna train passes on this route everyday. There was heavy traffic on the track when the train neared the Daniyawa Bazaar station. The gateman tried to lower the gate but could not do so. Another official put some red flags along the track to warn the train driver. But the train could not be stopped. It rammed into the vehicles before coming to a halt.”

Ajay Kumar, a shopkeeper in the area who witnessed the incident, said: “We don’t know how the accident occurred. But we saw the train hit a number of vehicles, including an SUV, a smaller car, a passenger bus, an autorickshaw and a truck.”

He added: “Thankfully, the train was not running very fast. Else, it could have led to a major accident and more casualties.”

East Central Railway chief public relations officer Neeraj Ambastha said initial investigation has revealed the gates could not be lowered because of traffic. “The incident is not very serious. It did not affect train movement much as it occurred on a loop line,” he said.

Residents of the area, however, claimed that the apathy of the railway officials at the level crossing led to the accident.

“How come the gateman and two other railway officials present at the crossing did not know that the train was approaching? They usually get to know about trains in advance and the gates are lowered. There have been instances when we have waited for at least 10 minutes before a train has passed through,” said Sushant Singh, a resident of the area.

He added: “This is a case of negligence on the part of the railway officials.”

Sources said the train driver fled fearing the residents of the area would beat him up. The gateman, Amarender Paswan, also escaped.

“The gateman ran away as he feared the mob that had gathered after the accident. He came to the railway office in Danapur and told his superiors that he could not close the level crossing in time because of the traffic. He also claimed that he did not get the signal about the approaching train,” said Ambastha.

He added: “The divisional railway manager and other officers inspected the site in the morning. The matter is being investigated.”

Asked if the level crossing had an alarm system, he reiterated that the matter would be investigated.