At least 12 passengers were killed on Wednesday evening when they jumped from their Mumbai-bound train in panic due to a false fire alarm, only to be tragically run over by another train on the adjacent tracks here, officials said..
The tragedy unfolded when passengers onboard the 12533 Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express, fearing a blaze, hastily jumped onto the adjacent tracks and were run over by the oncoming Karnataka Express heading from Bengaluru to Delhi, they said.
As many as 15 other passengers were injured in the accident, which took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora town in North Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, when Pushpak Express halted after someone pulled the chain around 4.45 pm, Central Railway officials said.
Dilip Kumar, executive director, information and publicity, Railway Board, however, denied that any spark or fire inside the coach caused passengers to pull the alarm.
"Based on the information that we have received no spark or any fire was noticed in the coach," Kumar told PTI in New Delhi.
In a video message from Davos in Switzerland, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Some passengers in the train mistakenly assumed that smoke is coming out of the train and they jumped. Unfortunately, they were ran over by another train."
He announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the passengers who died in the tragedy, while the commissioner of railway safety, Central Circle, will probe the circumstances leading to the accident.
"The tragic loss of lives in a very unfortunate incident near Pachora in Jalgaon district (which) is deeply distressing. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them," Fadnavis posted on X.
The Railway Board separately announced an ex gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for grievous wounds and Rs 5,000 for simple injuries.
Jalgaon district information officer Yuvraj Patil said 12 passengers were killed in the tragedy, while 15 others were injured.
Pushpak Express departed from the spot in just 15 minutes, while the Karnataka Express was removed within 20 minutes after the accident, a Railway official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his condolences to the families of the passengers killed in the accident and wished for the speedy recovery of all the injured.
"Anguished by the tragic accident on the railway tracks in Jalgaon, Maharashtra. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and pray for the speedy recovery of all the injured. Authorities are providing all possible assistance to those affected," the PM said in a post on X.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah termed the tragedy as extremely sad and added he spoke to Chief Minister Fadnavis and took stock of the situation.
"The train accident in Jalgaon, Maharashtra is extremely sad. I spoke to Chief Minister Shri @Dev_Fadnavis ji in this regard and took stock of the situation arising after the accident. The local administration is providing all possible help to the injured. I express my deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident and wish for the speedy recovery of the injured," Shah wrote on 'X' in Hindi.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, currently in Davos to take part in the World Economic Forum, also expressed grief over the accident.
"Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav has expressed deep sorrow over the incident. He took complete information about the incident from the Railway Board Chairman and other officials and gave instructions for proper treatment of all the injured," a statement issued by the Railway Board said.
"He has expressed condolences to the families of those killed in the incident," it added.
A passenger told a Marathi news channel that panic gripped passengers after some of them saw sparks flying from the wheels of the train when brakes were applied.
"Some passengers pulled the emergency chain and got down on the tracks, leading to the tragedy," he said.
Visuals of the spot show mutilated body parts lying along a stretch of the railway track.
Residents of nearby villages rushed to the spot to offer help.
Salman Pathan, a resident of Pachora, said he saw mutilated bodies on the tracks.
"We saw the headless body of a man. A woman was inconsolable after her husband lost his life in the accident, his body badly mangled," he said.
A senior Railway official said preliminary information suggests sparks and smoke inside one of the general coaches of Pushpak Express due to either 'hot axle' or 'brake-binding' (jamming).
Manoj Arora, commissioner of railway safety, Central Circle, said he would reach the accident site, over 400 km from Mumbai, on Thursday morning.
Arora, also holding additional charge of CRS, Western Circle, said statements of passengers and other eye-witnesses will be recorded.
"We will invite passengers and other eye-witnesses. They can share their version about the accident," he said.
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