Days after elderly couple Shanmugaiah and Vadakithiammal helped prevent a major train accident near Sengottai, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday felicitated them and handed over a cheque for ₹5 lakh, from the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund, to them.
At an event in the Secretariat here, Mr. Stalin honoured them with shawls, and handed over the cheque. Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena was present.
The couple woke up to a loud noise when a truck fell on the railway track between Bhagavathipuram and Aryankavu railway stations in the wee hours on Sunday, after hitting the crash barrier of the ghat road.
Realising the situation, they displayed extraordinary courage, and ran a few metres along the track near Bhagavathipuram railway station to stop an approaching train.
Thankfully, owing to a precautionary measure, the train was moving at 30 kmph on the ghat section and the couple’s brave act led to the crew stopping the train at a safe distance.
The obstruction was removed from the track using earth-movers and the track was cleared for rail traffic around 6 a.m. that day.
