Train hits poultry van at railway crossing, two escape unhurt

Two men transporting chickens from Kashmir valley to Punjab had a narrow escape as their poultry van was hit by a speeding train at a railway crossing in Kathua near here, extensively damaging the vehicle, officials said Friday.

Most of the chickens too perished in the mishap, they said.

Officials said the poultry van was passing through Seswan railway crossing when Uttar Samparak Kranti Express rammed into it and totally damaged its tail-end of the vehicle.

Driver Hilal Ahmed Sheikh of Anantnag and another person had a narrow escape, they said.

The driver told police that crossing was not closed at the time and he routinely sought to cross it, when the train rammed into his vehicle's tail end.