(Updating with probe ordered by railways)

12 bogies of train derail, rail traffic hit in Kerala Kochi/Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 28 (PTI) Passengers of aMangaluru-bound express train escaped unhurt today when 12 ofits bogies derailed amid heavy rains at Karukutty, about 45 kmfrom Kochi, disrupting rail traffic in Kerala. A possible major collision was also averted as theChennai-Trivandrum train coming towards Ernakulam was stoppedaround 300 metres away from the accident site following atimely alert, a railway official said. Railways ordered a probe into the mishap which occurredat 2.55 AM shortly after the Train 16347 Thiruvananthapuram-Mangaluru Express left Aluva station and was running at a slowspeed. There was no casualty and all passengers were safe andtaken to Thrissur for their onward journey, Railways said. Southern Railways Additional General Manager P K Mishra,who visited the accident site along with senior colleagues,told reporters there was no casualty. One woman passenger complained of shoulder pain and wastaken to a nearby hospital and after first aid she left forhome, he said. According to railway officials in Thiruvananthapuram, thederailed coaches have not detached or toppled, which is one ofthe reasons for passengers escaping unhurt. A Railway official said major collision was averted asthe Chennai-Trivandrum train coming towards Ernakulam wasstopped on time. "We alerted the incoming train and it was stopped about300 metres away. This was an achievement of the railwayssafety measures," the official said. Announcing the probe, a railway spokesperson said a teamheaded by Southern Railway Chief Safety Officer was expectedto start its work by this evening. The derailment threw rail traffic on Ernakulam-Thrissurroute out of gear with 21 trains being cancelled. Severalothers were terminated at Ernakulam and some long distancetrains rescheduled. Rail traffic towards Ernakulam was expected to berestored by 6 PM today and to Thrissur by tomorrow morning,Mishra said. Railway officials from the state capital and elsewhereare overseeing the relief and rescue operations. On the mishap, Mishra said it could be due to defect intrack or in the coaches. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said Railways havearranged special trains and buses for transporting strandedpassengers, adding it was suspected there was some defect inthe track. Ramachandran, a ticket examiner, said he heard a loudnoise at the time of the derailment and passengers panicked.It was raining heavily when the incident occurred, he said. A railways release announced helpline numbers: 9746769960,9746761072, 0471-2320012. Six long distance trains have been diverted viaTirunelveli, it said, adding Kerala State Road TransportCorporation (KSRTC) would ply buses between Thrissur andErnakulam depending on the arrival and departure timings oftrains. PTI TGB JRK UD VS APR VSTIR