Landslide on Konkan track delays trains, commuters suffer

Torrential rains in the Konkan region triggered a major landslide in Ratnagiri sector in Maharashtra today morning, delaying trains and causing inconvenience to scores of commuters, heading to Konkan for the upcoming Ganesh festival.

Public relations manager of Konkan Railway Corporation Limited (KRCL) Baban Ghatge told PTI that a landslide near Pomendi in Ratnagiri district has resulted in the delay of several trains on the route.

"The landslide occurred at 8.15am due to heavy rains. A heavy wall collapsed on the tracks," he said adding, "A team of experts is already at the spot and the debris is being cleared. We expect the traffic to be normalised by 2pm," he said.

The landslide has left thousands of commuters stranded on the way, he added.

KRCL has been running special trains to clear the extra rush of travellers from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai to Madgao (Goa) since August 28, ahead of the Ganesh Chaturthi on September 1. Considering the rush, the number of coaches on the existing trains have also been added.

In the month of July as well, landslides had been reported in the Ratnagiri region, caused by torrential rains.