GORAKHPUR, Dec. 24 -- An accident was narrowly averted after a tourist bus got stuck at a railway crossing even as two trains were approaching it from opposite directions, in Deoria on Tuesday, officials said. Timely action by an alert gateman prevented the mishap, they added. No passenger was on board the bus when the mishap took place. According to officials, the incident occurred at the Padri Mall railway crossing, which comes under the Bhatni-Barhaj railway section. The tourist bus attempted to cross the railway track when the barrier was coming down. In a bid to clear the crossing quickly, the driver accelerated the vehicle, but its rear axle broke, causing the wheels to come off and leaving the bus stranded on the tracks. At the same time, a goods train and the Ernakulam Express were approaching the crossing. The gateman on duty immediately waved a red flag and alerted the train drivers, who managed to stop the trains in time. On condition of anonymity, a senior railway official said, "The gateman acted swiftly and followed all safety protocols. Due to his timely intervention, a mishap was prevented. Both trains were stopped well before reaching the crossing." Following the incident, train operations on the route were suspended for over an hour. Passenger and other trains were halted at nearby stations as a precautionary measure. Station superintendent of police Sandeep Bhatnagar said the tourist bus was returning after dropping off its passengers at Sonughat when it got stuck on the tracks. "The plying of trains was affected for 45 minutes," he added. No injuries were reported in the incident, though road traffic on both sides of the railway crossing remained disrupted for some time, GRP officials said....