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Three accidents rock Railways, Goyal orders immediate review of safety standards (Roundup)

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New Delhi, Sep 7 (IANS) Three train derailments rocked the Railways within a span of 12 hours on Thursday — three days after new Railway Minister Piyush Goyal took charge, leading him to order an immediate review of safety standards.

On top of the derailments, a major accident was averted in Uttar Pradesh’s Farrukhabad by alert locals. But there were no casualties or injuries to any passengers in all the incidents.

The day started on a bad note for the Railways when seven coaches of Shaktipunj Express derailed near Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh at 6.20 a.m.. The train was coming from Howrah in West Bengal and was headed to Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.

In the second incident which took place in the national capital around 11.45 a.m., the engine and power coach of the Rajdhani Express derailed near Shivaji Bridge Railway Station (formerly Minto Bridge).

The train was coming from Ranchi to Delhi and it derailed while approaching the New Delhi Railway Station.

Following the derailment, the Northern Railways cancelled nine trains and diverted five.

In the third incident, two wagons of a goods train derailed near Khandala Monkey Hills in Maharashtra around 3.55 p.m.

Meanwhile, a major train accident was averted during the day as the locals alerted the driver of the Delhi-Kanpur Kalinga Express about a crack in the track. The driver was able to stop the train immediately.

Following the news of three incidents, Goyal directed the Railway Board to undertake immediate measures to address train derailments.

He chaired a high-level meeting on safety in train operations with the members of the Railway Board and officials of its Safety Directorate.

A comprehensive review of safety was undertaken and Goyal emphasised on setting the safety in train operation as top priority.

Unmanned level crossings and derailments due to defects in tracks were identified as two major causes leading to accidents.

Goyal said that safety is paramount and “there cannot and should not be any compromise on this front”.

“Track replacement or renewal should be accorded priority and the procurement of new rails should be expedited on a large scale with a view to completing construction of new lines in time,” he said.

The Minister also directed to stop the manufacturing of conventional Integral Coach Factory-design coaches, and said that only new Linke Hofmann Busch coaches should be manufactured.

He asked for installation of anti-fog LED lights in locomotives so that unhindered safe train operations can be ensured during winter season through fog.

Goyal was appointed the Railway Minister on Sunday replacing Suresh Prabhu, who had offered to quit in the wake of Kalinga Utkal Express derailment on August 19 near Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh in which 22 people died and over 150 were injured.

On August 23, over 100 passengers were injured when 14 coaches of the Kaifiyat Express derailed in the stat’s Auraiya district after hitting a dumper.

Railway Board Chairman A.K. Mittal resigned after the train derailments and was succeeded by Ashwani Lohani.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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