Taking precaution against the Chinese pandemic, the Southern Railways has asked its staff to undergo medical tests after many Tablighi Jamaatis, who had attended the Delhi religious event had travelled by trains between March 14 and 20.
As per a report in the New Indian Express, the Tablighi Jamaat attendees had travelled by 13 trains from Delhi to Telangana, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As many of the attendees have now tested positive for the Chinese virus, the Southern Railway has now warned that ticket examiners and RPF personnel may also have been contracted with the virus and hence asked its staff to undergo a medical test.
The Southern Railways has asked more than 100 employees including travel ticket examiners, RPF personnel and contract staffs to undergo medical tests and quarantine themselves in various places.
“Those employees engaged in cleaning the coaches also been cautioned. The report will be sent to Health departments of the State government for further follow-up,” a senior official said.
As per the NIE report, An internal circular sent by Senior Divisional Safety Commissioner, RPF, Chennai to the officials of Chennai railway division on Saturday stated that a significant number of participants of the religious congregation have travelled in S1, S2, S5 and S6 coaches in Nizamuddin – Chennai Duronto express on March 17.
The Tablighi members also travelled in general coaches of Janshatabdi express between Vijayawada and Chennai on March 18. In addition, many attendees may also have travelled in 11 southbound trains between March 14 and 20.
The circular has issued names of 13 trains in which the suspected Tablighi Jamaat members may have travelled to different parts of the country. The Indian Railways has also identified the participants based on reports received from the Delhi government and few other States including Telangana.
The list of trains released by Southern Railways in which suspect Tablighi Jamaat members may have travelled between March 14 and 20 is as follows:
- Jammu Tawi – Kanyakumari Himsagar express,
- Dehradun – Madurai biweekly express,
- New Delhi – Chennai Tamil Nadu express,
- New Delhi – Thiruvananthapuram Kerala express,
- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra – Chennai Andaman express,
- New Delhi – Ernakulam Millenum Express,
- Hazrat Nizamuddin – Chennai Rajdhani express,
- Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra – Tirunelveli Navyug Express,
- Nizamuddin – Thiruvananthapuram Swarna Jayanthi express,
- Nizamuddin – Coimbatore Kongu express
- and New Delhi – Chennai Grand Trunk express.
The Nizamuddin Markaz of the Tablighi Jamaat in Delhi has been the epicentre of the spread of Wuhan Coronavirus all across India. The role of the Tablighi Jamaat in the spreading of the Wuhan Coronavirus in India came to light when thousands of Jamaatis were found holed up in the Markaz Nizamuddin in violation of all guidelines and orders. Subsequently, hundreds of people across numerous states of India who had attended the Islamic event at the Markaz Nizamuddin tested positive for the virus.
