India: An elderly woman, who spotted a fallen tree on the railway tracks, waved a red cloth and stopped a train, preventing a major mishap and saving hundreds of lives. The incident took place near Mandara on the outskirts of Mangalore.
Chandravati, 70, noticed the fallen tree on the tracks around the time the Mangalore-Mumbai Matsyagandha Express was to cross the spot.
She immediately rushed home and returned with a red cloth, which she waved to alert the loco pilot. The pilot, upon spotting the signal and realizing the danger, stopped the train in time.
“I noticed the tree on the track because of the sound. I called my son first, and informed him about the fallen tree. I heard the sound of a train coming. I found a red cloth and waved it to stop the train. The railway staff appreciated me,” Chandravati told India Today TV.
The tree was removed and the tracks were cleared after about half an hour, following which train services resumed.
