VISAKHAPATNAM
The gas leak at the LG Polymers plant at RR Venkatapuram has caused anxiety and inconvenience to 500-odd people, from Andhra Pradesh, coming by the special train, after being stranded at Mt. Abu in Rajasthan for over 50 days due to the lockdown.
They had all gone to participate in the annual ‘Milan’ programme, organised by the Prajapita Brahma Kumaris Ishwariya Vishwa Vidyalaya, which was slated for March 20.
The train started from Abu Road railway station around 1.30 a.m. on Wednesday. It was stopped at Alamanda in Vizianagaram around 8.30 a.m. in view of the potential threat to passengers due to the leakage of gas.
All in the dark
“We were asked to shut all the windows and it was totally dark as there was no power in some of the coaches,” Padmavathi, who was in the train told The Hindu.
“We had a comfortable experience all through but had to put up with the inconvenience at the fag end of our journey. But for the stoppage due to the gas leak, we would have reached Visakhapatnam by 7 a.m. Our train finally left Alamanda around 12.30 p.m. reached Visakhapatnam junction at 1.30 p.m.,” said B.S. Anand, who also came by that train.
The pilgrims from Rajahmundry and from other regions in the State were sent to their respective places by RTC buses. Those from the city were temporarily put up at the Rail Club near the railway station for COVID-19 testing and will be sent to the Brahma Kumaris ashram at Tallavalasa in Bheemunipatnam mandal for quarantine.