Rayagada: A train accident was avoided late last night when a large boulder fell onto the railway track near the Majhigariani Temple, close to Odisha's Rayagada town, disrupting train movement for several hours.

The incident occurred on the route of the Visakhapatnam-Korba Link Express, which was heading towards Korba at the time. The train was passing through the affected track when the loco pilot heard a loud noise and immediately applied the brakes, bringing the train to a halt in time.

Following the incident, train services were suspended on the route from around 12 midnight to 5 am, affecting several schedules. The Korba Express remained stranded on the track for nearly five hours.

Railway rescue teams rushed to the spot, cleared the boulder, and carried out necessary repair work. After several hours of disruption, train operations resumed on a single line.

Senior railway officials were present at the site to monitor the situation, while a probe has been initiated by the Railway Protection Force (RPF).