LUCKNOW: A rail accident was averted thanks to the timely intervention of a 70-year-old woman named Omvati from Uttar Pradesh. The woman undraped her saree and fluttered it to save the lives of several people.

The incident took place on Thursday near the Kusba railway station in the Etah district. Omvati saw the large crack in the rail while she was on her way to work in the field. Upon seeing cracks in the railway track, she looked around to see if there was anything to alert the driver of the next train as she knew the train will come soon. Omvati then undraped her red saree and fluttered it on the tracks to alert the driver of the train. Later, she cut the stems of a nearby tree, placed them on both sides of the track and tied her red saree to them. Soon a passenger train from Etah to Tundla arrived. Upon seeing this, the loco pilot stopped the train. Thus a major accident was averted. Following this, the driver of the passenger train informed his senior officers about the crack. The track was then repaired and the train set off on its onward journey an hour later.

Omvati said she knew that red was a sign of danger and that she undraped her saree and tied it to the track, hoping to warn the driver of the danger.