A snake slithering through a concealed panel above an upper berth sent passengers into a panic aboard the Swatantrata Senani Superfast Express on Saturday evening, forcing railway authorities to replace the suspected coach at Muzaffarpur as a precaution.
The incident occurred in coach A2, an AC 2-Tier coach of train 12561, which was travelling from Jaynagar to New Delhi. The train departed Jaynagar at around 5.30pm on Saturday, and shortly afterwards, a passenger spotted the snake entering the panel above an upper berth. The train continued towards Muzaffarpur via Samastipur and reached Muzaffarpur Junction at around 9.38pm. They opened the panels near seat number 34, but nothing was found,” Chandra said.
East Central Railway chief public relations officer Saraswati Chandra confirmed that the suspected coach was replaced at Muzaffarpur as a precautionary measure. Arun Thakur, who was travelling in the same compartment, recorded a video of the incident showing the snake slithering inside the panel as passengers raised an alarm. The passengers alerted the coach attendant, TTE and railway control room. By the time the train reached Darbhanga, the snake had reportedly disappeared inside the panel. Railway staff opened the panel and searched for the reptile but failed to locate it. Soon after the train arrived, rescue teams from the railway and the Carriage and Wagon department reached the coach. Passengers were asked to vacate the coach while railway staff conducted a detailed search for nearly an hour. However, the snake could not be traced. “Two staff members escorted the suspected coach from Samastipur to Muzaffarpur.
“However, as an extra precaution and to ensure the safety of passengers, we replaced the suspected coach at Muzaffarpur with another coach and detached the old coach,” she added. Chandra said passengers were safely shifted to the newly attached coach following announcements and with assistance from railway staff.
