A rumor spread that a moving train caught fire in western India, killing at least 12 people. Some passengers jumped from the train due to the alleged fire and were hit by another train.
It occurred in the state of Maharashtra, between Maheji and Pardhade stations, about 410 kilometers (255 mi) north-east of India’s financial capital, Mumbai.
What do we know about the accident?
According to the Press Trust of India news agency, passengers jumped off the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express train following rumors of a fire. Some passengers pulled the emergency chain, causing the train to stop.
Railway spokesperson Swapnil Neela said those who jumped were hit by another express train passing on the adjacent track.
“Our initial information is that the spark was caused by a ‘hot axle’ or ‘brake-binding’ inside a coach of the Pushpak Express. [jamming]“And some passengers panicked,” a senior railway official told PTI.
“They pulled the chain and some of them jumped onto the track. At the same time, Karnataka Express was passing on the adjacent track.”
Effort to modernize colonial era railways
India’s Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his “deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident.”
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the victims’ families would receive compensation from the authorities, and the state government would also bear the cost of treatment of the injured.
India has one of the largest railway systems in the world, but the aging system dates back to British colonial rule and is now prone to annual fatal accidents. An accident in 2023 killed about 300 people.
India has one of the largest railway systems in the world, but the aging system dates back to British colonial rule and is now prone to annual fatal accidents. An accident in 2023 killed about 300 people.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has invested billions of dollars in modernizing train infrastructure. However, analysts believe the antiquated system in the world’s most populous country still has a long way to go.
rmt/lo (AFP, AP)