Three persons including two railway employees were run over by a goods train ahead of the railway bridge over river Mahanadi under Sambalpur Government Railway Police (GRP) limits on Tuesday.

The accident took place at about 3.30 pm between Sambalpur junction and Hirakud railway station under Sambalpur railway division. The deceased are key man Alekh Tanti, railway guard Shyam Mukhi besides, a daily labourer Jiten Lama who had been engaged to work with them.

The incident came to light after driver of the Balangir-Bhubaneswar Intercity stopped the train at Hirakud railway station and sent a memo about the accident. Sources, however, said that it is unclear whether the men at work had taken preventive measures like displaying red flag on the track to inform the driver which could have averted the incident.

Receiving information, Additional Divisional Railway Manager J Diggi and railway officials rushed to the spot. Divisional Railway Manager AK Gupta ordered a probe into the incident and the bodies have been sent to VSS Medical for postmortem.