Mumbai: At least 11 people died in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district Wednesday evening as they jumped off a stationery Pushpak Express fearing a fire, and were run over by another train moving in the opposite direction.
Jalgaon collector Ayush Prasad told ThePrint that about 11 more are injured, of whom four are seriously injured. The rest suffered minor fractures and scratches.
Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of the Central Railway, said in a statement that there was a report of chain pulling inside the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express between the Pardhande and Maheji railway stations in Jalgaon.
“After the alarm chain was pulled, the train stopped. After it halted, some passengers from one of the coaches got down from the train. At the same time, the Bangalore-Delhi Karnataka Express was going in the opposite direction” Nila said.
He added that the Central Railway coordinated with the local administration to dispatch ambulances to the spot. An accident relief train from the Bhusaval division is also en route.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a statement on X that eight ambulances have been dispatched, and Jalgaon’s general hospital as well as its private hospitals are on standby. “Emergency tools like glass cutters and floodlights have been kept ready. We are closely monitoring the situation and all necessary assistance and help is being provided without delay. I am in constant touch with the district administration.”
While Fadnavis is at Davos attending the World Economic Forum, he said BJP minister Girish Mahajan rushed to the spot along with the Jalgaon superintendent of police and the district collector.
Deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives in an unfortunate incident near Pachora in Jalgaon district. My deepest condolences to the affected families. 🙏
My colleague Minister Girish Mahajan and the Superintendent of Police are already at the site, with the District Collector… https://t.co/MbS8rCdzDu
— Devendra Fadnavis (@Dev_Fadnavis) January 22, 2025
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Accident took place at a high-speed zone
Jalgaon collector Prasad said the incident happened at around 4:40 pm, and the district administration was alerted by 5:15 pm. “The first ambulance reached the spot by 5:26 pm and by 6:20 pm, we had completed the rescue operations and cleared the site. The accident happened at a stretch which is a high-speed zone for trains. Trains run at a speed of about 120 km per hour in this stretch,” he said, adding that the accident site was not close to any residential settlement, and was ran through fields.
He said about 100 passengers jumped off the train on the tracks on both sides after the chain was pulled. “It was a general coach right behind the engine and the victims were mostly poor labourers.”
The district administration also dispatched fire extinguishers, which did not have to be used. The glass cutters were dispatched because sometimes victims get stuck under wheels, but these too did not need to be used, Prasad said. “Both the trains resumed their journeys at around 6:20 pm. Currently, we have 20 police constables searching the site for any body parts. Forensic teams are also on the spot,” the collector added.
(Edited by Radifah Kabir)
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