New Delhi: Some passengers aboard the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express who got off the train after an alarm chain was pulled were run over by a different train travelling in the opposite direction. Media reports said at least 11 people were killed.
A few among those who suffered injured were in serious condition, they also said.
The incident, which took place between the Maheji and Pardhade stations in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district on Wednesday (January 22) afternoon, transpired after some passengers aboard the Pushpak Express panicked upon seeing sparks and smoke, PTI cited a senior railways official as saying.
“Some panicked passengers pulled the chain, and some of them jumped down. At the same time, [the] Karnataka Express was passing,” the official said, referring to the train travelling from Bengaluru to Delhi and in the opposite direction as the Pushpak Express.
The passengers had got down from the train amid rumours of a fire on board, media reports have said.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis announced aid of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those who died in the incident.
Manoj Arora, commissioner of the railway safety commission’s central circle, told PTI he expects to reach the site of the incident on Thursday morning.
“We will invite passengers and other eye-witnesses. They can share their version about the accident,” he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a statement on Wednesday night condoled the families of those who died in the incident and said he was “anguished” by it.
Central Railway chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said an accident relief train had been dispatched from nearby Bhusawal and ambulances were being arranged for with local officials.
ThePrint cited Jalgaon collector Ayush Prasad as saying the incident took place at around 4:40 pm on Wednesday in a “stretch which is a high-speed zone for trains”.
