The district administration was caught by surprise when a special train from Mumbai with around 1,600 passengers stopped at the Kannur railway station on Saturday. As many as 152 passengers got down at the station.
The district administration had no prior information about the arrival of the train, and had to make arrangements on a war footing after learning of the train’s halt at Kannur.
Those who alighted at Kannur include 56 persons from Kannur, 17 from Kozhikode, five from Wayanad, one from Malappuram, 72 from Kasaragod, and one from Tamil Nadu. Many passengers arrived without having registered online, adding to the confusion.
District Collector T.V. Subhash said passengers who had not registered online were made to register at the railway station. There was confusion until morning about whether the train would stop at Kannur or Kasargod, he added.
He added that necessary arrangements had been made at the railway station to check passengers.
They were transported in the 108 ambulances and 15 KSRTC buses arranged at the station.
The passengers from Kannur were taken to their homes and to the quarantine centre, while others were taken to their respective districts in special buses. One person who showed symptoms of COVID-19 was shifted to a hospital.
