Jharkhand rains bring new road hazard as trees crash onto vehicles, railway tracks
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK Daltonganj, September 1: Travelling by road or rail during the monsoon has acquired a new and unpredictable hazard…
A damaged SUV after a huge flame tree fell on it on SH-9 near Mahuadnar in Latehar district on Sunday evening. Three occupants escaped unhurt.
THE JHARKHAND STORY NETWORK
Daltonganj, September 1: Travelling by road or rail during the monsoon has acquired a new and unpredictable hazard in Jharkhand—trees suddenly uprooting and crashing onto roads and railway tracks.
While heavy rain, waterlogging and flooding can often be anticipated through weather forecasts, falling trees remain difficult to predict, particularly when rain weakens the soil around their roots.
Two such incidents were reported in Latehar district on Sunday, including one in which a large tree fell on a moving SUV on State Highway 9 near Mahuadnar.
Huge tree crashes onto moving SUV
Three occupants of a luxury SUV had a narrow escape when a huge flame tree, locally known as gold mohar, suddenly fell on their vehicle around 7 pm near the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) camp on SH-9, close to Mahuadnar town.
The vehicle, driven by senior journalist Paras Yadav, was travelling from Mahuadnar towards Baresand when the incident occurred.
“It was raining mildly and there was no strong wind. Traffic on SH-9 was also thin,” Yadav said.
According to him, the tree came down without warning, striking the bonnet, windscreen and roof of the moving vehicle.
“The flame tree fell all of a sudden. It was like a flash of lightning. All three of us were trapped inside the vehicle,” he said.
As the accident occurred close to the IRB camp, jawans and local residents quickly reached the spot and began the rescue operation.
The smaller branches were first removed from the vehicle before a JCB machine was brought in to pull away the massive tree trunk.
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Vehicle limps through 30-km stretch
Although the occupants escaped unhurt, the damaged SUV had to continue its journey towards Baresand.
Yadav said the vehicle managed to travel nearly 30 km from Mahuadnar despite the damage.
“It was sheer luck that the engine did not fail. We completed the journey in fear and panic, wondering what would happen if the engine stopped midway,” he said.
The incident has once again highlighted the danger posed by large roadside trees during the monsoon, particularly along stretches where there is limited traffic and emergency assistance may not be immediately available.
Tree blocks railway track
In another incident on Sunday, a large tree fell onto the railway track between Chhipadohar and Hehegara railway stations in Latehar district at around 4.25 pm, disrupting train movement.
According to railway sources, the obstruction resulted in a disruption of nearly one-and-a-half hours.
The overhead equipment (OHE) was not damaged in the incident, allowing railway teams to focus on removing the fallen tree and clearing the track.
Salvage teams, along with tower wagons from Daltonganj, Barwadih and Latehar railway stations, were sent to the spot.
The tree was eventually removed from the track later on Sunday night, after which normal rail movement could resume.
The two incidents underline a lesser-discussed monsoon risk in Jharkhand, where weakened trees along highways and railway corridors can come down suddenly, posing a threat to motorists, passengers and railway operations.
