India, June 23 -- LUCKNOW A major train accident was averted near Lucknow in the early hours of Sunday (around 3:40 am) when the Anand Vihar Terminal-Gorakhpur Humsafar Express (12572) struck an iron frame that was allegedly placed on the railway tracks between Dilkusha and Malhaur. The obstruction was spotted by the alert loco pilot of the train, said police.

Officials suspected the incident to be a case of sabotage, given the unusual nature and size of the object and its deliberate placement on an operational track.

The pilot immediately applied the emergency brakes upon noticing the large structure on the down line, managing to stop the train just in time and saving hundreds of lives on board. The obstruction turned out to be a heavy...