A commuter train north of New York City struck a vehicle on the tracks Tuesday evening, killing six people, mostly on the train, and injuring at least 12, authorities said.The northbound train struck a Jeep Cherokee at a railroad crossing in Valhalla, about 20 miles (32 kilometers) north of New York City, Metro-North Railroad spokesman Aaron Donovan said. Killed were the Jeep’s driver and five people aboard the train, he said.
The train shoved the Jeep about 10 train car lengths north, and the Jeep and the front of the train caught fire, he said. The rail passengers were moved to the rear of the train, which had left Grand Central Terminal about 45 minutes earlier.
Passengers got off from the rear of the train. About 400 of them were taken to a local rock climbing gym for shelter. Buses were heading there to pick them up and take them to their destinations.
The railroad track gates came down on top of the vehicle, which was stopped on the tracks, the Metro-North spokesman said. The driver got out to look at the rear of the vehicle, then she got back in and drove forward and was struck, he said.
Smoke was seen pouring out of the scorched rail car, its windows blackened.
Metro-North is the nation’s second-busiest railroad, after the Long Island Rail Road. It was formed in 1983 and serves about 280,000 riders a day in New York and Connecticut.
(AP)
JAIPUR / The registration for Pratyaksha Hastaantarit Laabh (PAHAL) — the direct benefits transfer scheme for LPG subsidy — has received good response from the people in the state with about 63.77% LPG consumers signing up for the scheme so far. However, the response has been poor in Jaipur and Jodhpur, where only 56.51% and 54.92% consumers have linked their Aadhar numbers with the LPG connections, respectively. According to oil companies, there are two reasons for the lukewarm response. First, there are several consumers who have been using domestic connections without the same being registered. These consumers have not approached the distributors for availing the scheme as they fear that the cylinders won’t be supplied to them in future, says Gurmeet Singh, executive director of Rajasthan office of Indian Oil Corporation Limited. Second, many consumers do not possess the original documents pertaining to the connections. Likewise, some have the documents of the connections that are registered in the names of their deceased family members. Singh says: "Consumers do not approach the distributors also because they do not know the procedure for regularisation of these connections.” Oil marketing companies have issued guidelines to all distributors to regularise the connections so that consumers can avail the benefits of the PAHAL scheme. Consumers can approach their distributors and submit the required consent letter/affidavits formats available with distributors. They are required to carry the documents related to the connection or the death certificates of the original connection holders. The transfer of the connection to the next kin or legal heir is permitted, subject to the completion of the formalities. Change of names is also permitted. The original consumer will have to give his written consent for transferring the connection in favour of a family member to whom she/he wants to transfer the connection. 
