Over 100 Railway Staff Who May Have Come In Contact With Tablighis In South-bound Trains Directed To Quarantine And Test

The Southern Railways has directed more than 100 employees including travel ticket examiners, RPF personnel and contract staffs to undergo medical tests and quarantine themselves as they may have come in contact with Tablighi Jamat attendees returning from Nizamuddin congregation, The New Indian Express reported.

Hundreds of Tablighi Jamat Markaz participants, especially from states of Telangana and Tamil Nadu, have tested positive for Covid-19. Over 80% of cases in Tamil Nadu and Telangana have been attributed to Islamic clerics of Tablighi movements and those who came in their contact.

According to The New Indian Express report, an internal circular has been sent by Senior Divisional Safety Commissioner, RPF, Chennai to Chennai railway division on Saturday stating that a good number of participants of religious congregation have travelled in S1, S2, S5 and S6 coaches in Nizamuddin - Chennai Duronto express on March 17.

According to Railway authorities, a number of Tablighis travelled in general coaches of Janshatabdi express between Vijayawada and Chennai on March 18.

The Railways also also identified a number of south-bound trains between March 14 and 20 in which Tablighis travelled including

• 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,
• Hazat 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.