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3 students killed as train hits school van in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore

Cuddalore Train-School Van Accident: A senior police official said the manned railway level crossing gate between Cuddalore and Alappakkam was not closed and had no signal indicating that a train was approaching.

Collision between school van and train in Cuddalore kills two

Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore School Van Accident News Update: Three students were killed and three others were injured after their school van was hit by a train at a railway crossing in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore district on Tuesday morning. Investigators said the tragedy was triggered by a mechanical failure that allowed the train to pass without the railway gate being closed.

The incident occurred at approximately 7.45 am as the van was ferrying children to Krishnaswamy Vidyaniketan Senior Secondary School in Kumarapuram. Cuddalore Superintendent of Police S Jeyakumar said it was the Villupuram-Mayiladuthurai passenger train that hit the vehicle.

The deceased were identified as Charumathi, 16, Sezhiyan, 15, and Nimalesh, 12. The injured include the van’s driver, a student, and a local resident, who reportedly suffered a non-fatal electric shock during the chaotic rescue operation.

2 students killed, 4 injured as train hits school van in Tamil Nadu’s Cuddalore

Local emergency services rushed all the injured to a nearby government hospital in Cuddalore, where they are receiving treatment. The driver remains in a critical but stable condition.

A senior police official said the manually operated gate, Railway Level Crossing Gate No 170 between Cuddalore and Alappakkam, had no signal indicating that a train was approaching, nor was it closed. “We are investigating the role of the guard,” the official said.

Preliminary reports from railway officials indicate that the level crossing gate was not closed on time. Although the crossing was supposed to be manned, investigators are now questioning the signalman assigned to the location to establish whether human error and negligence also contributed to the failure.

Arun Janardhanan

Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express. Based in the state, his reporting combines ground-level access with long-form clarity, offering readers a nuanced understanding of South India’s political, judicial, and cultural life - work that reflects both depth of expertise and sustained authority. Expertise Geographic Focus: As Tamil Nadu Correspondent focused on politics, crime, faith and disputes, Janardhanan has been also reporting extensively on Sri Lanka, producing a decade-long body of work on its elections, governance, and the aftermath of the Easter Sunday bombings through detailed stories and interviews. Key Coverage Areas: State Politics and Governance: Close reporting on the DMK and AIADMK, the emergence of new political actors such as actor Vijay’s TVK, internal party churn, Centre–State tensions, and the role of the Governor. Legal and Judicial Affairs: Consistent coverage of the Madras High Court, including religion-linked disputes and cases involving state authority and civil liberties. Investigations: Deep-dive series on landmark cases and unresolved questions, including the Tirupati encounter and the Rajiv Gandhi assassination, alongside multiple investigative series from Tamil Nadu. Culture, Society, and Crisis: Reporting on cultural organisations, language debates, and disaster coverage—from cyclones to prolonged monsoon emergencies—anchored in on-the-ground detail. His reporting has been recognised with the Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. Beyond journalism, Janardhanan is also a screenwriter; his Malayalam feature film Aarkkariyam was released in 2021. ... Read More

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