Passengers stranded at Tatanagar station. Protests held up trains after a gangman was run over by the Geetanjali Express. Picture by Bhola Prasad

Jamshedpur, May 11: Train services between Rajkharswan and Tatanagar sections under the Chakradharpur division of South Eastern Railway were disrupted for nearly four hours this morning as the local residents staged a rail blockade at Raj Kharswan, over 35 km from here.

The angry mob was protesting against the death of a gangman who was run over by the Mumbai-Howrah Geetanjali Express.

Other gangmen stopped work soon after the accident and also joined the protesters. They agitators were demanding adequate compensation for the kin of the deceased.

Railway sources said the assistant driver of the Geetanjali Express, S.B. Patro sustained injuries as he was beaten up by the angry mob. Later he was rushed to Khasmahal Railway Hospital at Tatanagar for treatment.

The mishap took place at around 8.15 am near the Rajkharswan west cabin when Bhakti Shankar Rai was at work.

The train was moving at a speed of 70-80 km per hour when the mishap occurred though after hitting the gangman it halted, sources said.

The rail blockade disrupted movement of several long-distance trains including Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express, Howrah-Kurla Sambleshwari Express, Patna-Tata Durg Link Express and Tata-Alleppy (Down) Express.

Howrah-Barbil Janshatabdi Express and Sambleshwari Express had also to be detained for nearly two hours at Tatanagar railway station.

Tata-Alleppy (Down) Express and Patna-Tata-Durg Link Express were held up too at Sini railway station for over two hours.

However, the agitators budged and the blockade was lifted around 11.45 am following an assurance of compensation to the kin of the victim came from the authorities. Senior railway officials from Chakradharpur including senior divisional commercial manager I.S. Bindra, who also rushed to the accident site, assured that Rai?s family would get proper compensation according to the rules.

Deputy station superintendent (Tatanagar) A.N. Chakraborty informed that a formal inquiry has been initiated into this morning?s accident.

Railway officials at Rajkharswan, however, revealed that the mishap occurred due to the fault of the victim.