Incoming train runs over 12 people who jumped off another over rumour of fire
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Passengers climbed off after seeing sparks in a coach and were hit by a passing train. Twelve people died and 15 others were injured when they got off a train after hearing rumours of a fire, only to be hit by another passing train in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.
The incident took place at around 4.50pm local time on Wednesday. Passengers on the Pushpak Express panicked after a rumour spread that the train had caught fire and they pulled the emergency chain, bringing it to a stop. Several of the passengers who disembarked from the right side were hit by the Karnataka Express coming from the opposite direction on a parallel track.
“Passengers from a coach of Pushpak Express disembarked and at the same time, a Karnataka Express train hit those people,” Central Railway spokesperson Swapnil Nila said. Railways officials said there was no fire. “Our preliminary information is that there were sparks inside one of the coaches of Pushpak Express due to either ‘hot axle’ or ‘brake-binding’, and some passengers panicked,” a senior Railways official told the news agency Press Trust of India.
A video posted on social media showed passengers screaming and crying after witnessing horrific scenes of dead bodies lying on the tracks. Prime minister Narendra Modi said he was anguished by the tragic incident. “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,” he said.
