Fatal Failure

On the morning of July 8, three young students—Charumathi (16), Sezhiyan (15), and Nimalesh (12)—were crushed under the iron wheels of systemic negligence at Semmankuppam in Tamil Nadu's Cuddalore district.

- 

Their school van was hit and dragged by the Villupuram—Mayiladuthurai passenger train at a manned level crossing that, in the first place, should have never been open. What was supposed to be a routine ride to school turned into a death sentence because of an avoidable failure at multiple levels.

Initial statements by the Southern Railway suggest the gatekeeper, Pankaj Sharma, attempted to close the gate but was pressured by the van driver to allow passage. He has since been suspended and arrested. However, eyewitness accounts and statements by a surviving student tell a different story—that the gate was already wide open and no warning of the train's approach was audible. Some reports claim the gatekeeper had dozed off. Others say he had exchanged the safety code with the station master—a requirement under railway protocol. However, what is undeniable is that the essential duty—to close the gate and secure the crossing—was grossly neglected.