Four Passengers Lose Lives in Train Accident

Four passengers died after falling off a train near Mumbra in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Monday.

Injuries and Quick Response

Two more passengers suffered serious injuries. Dr. Kailas Pawar, a surgeon at the district hospital, confirmed this.

The incident occurred on fast train tracks between Mumbra and Diva. Passengers on a local train fell onto the railway tracks, as stated by Central Railway’s Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Neela.

What Caused the Incident?

Neela clarified that it was not a collision. Passengers traveling on footboards in trains going in opposite directions got entangled. This is one of the suspected reasons for the incident.

Usually, the distance between two trains is 1.5-2 meters. However, on curves, a slight tilt can happen, which might have contributed to the incident.

Injured Passengers and Hospital Care

Dr. Pawar reported that 13 people were injured in the incident. Seven of them were admitted to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Thane’s Kalwa area.

Train Details

One of the trains involved was heading to Kasara in Thane district from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. The other train was going towards Mumbai.

It is still unclear if the passengers who fell on the tracks were from both trains.

Timeline of the Incident

• Railways were informed about the incident by a guard on a train headed to Kasara at 9:30 am.
• Ambulances reached the spot at 9:50 am.

Passenger Safety Concerns

Neela mentioned that sometimes passengers travel standing on the footboard even when there is space in the train.

He added, “All new local train rakes are air-conditioned and have automatic door closure facilities. We are trying to ensure that no such incident happens again.”

Railway Board’s Action

The railway board has decided to retrofit all rakes already in service with the door closure facility.

Government’s Response

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated that the Railways have started an inquiry to find the cause of the accident.

Passenger Statistics

About 37.62 lakh passengers traveled on Mumbai suburban trains operated by the Central Railway in 2023-’24. Additionally, 27.24 lakh passengers traveled on trains operated by the Western Railway.

Safety Record

Last year, Mumbai’s suburban train network recorded 2,468 deaths. This is more than six fatalities every day.