At least 12 people were killed, and 11 others injured in a tragic incident in Maharashtra, India, when passengers fleeing from a train over fire fears were struck by another train. The event unfolded on Wednesday evening, as passengers disembarked from the Pushpak Express and found themselves on the tracks, where they were hit by the passing Karnataka Express. Panic erupted when alarming rumors of a fire circulated on the train, leading to chaos as travelers attempted to evacuate.
The accident occurred at approximately 5 p.m., around 170 miles northeast of Mumbai. Ashok Pawar, a police inspector from the local Pachora police station, detailed that the Pushpak Express was en route from Lucknow to Mumbai and was heavily laden with passengers, many of whom were migrant workers. Tragically, among those who perished, seven were identified as being from Nepal, while four others hailed from Uttar Pradesh. One remaining victim's identity is still not known, and families of the deceased have gathered in Jalgaon, the location of the incident.
Authorities, led by Superintendent Maheswar Reddy, have pledged to investigate the panic that caused the evacuation, including whether there was any actual fire or if rumors had led to the drastic series of events. Maharashtra's government has responded by dispatching ambulances to aid the injured and announcing financial support for the victims' families.
This incident raises valid concerns about rail safety in India, where train travel remains a primary mode of transportation for millions, particularly in rural areas. Despite significant governmental investment in railway safety and modernization, accidents and fatalities continue to be a recurring issue. Notable disasters in recent years include a catastrophic collision in Odisha in 2023 resulting in 290 deaths and another incident last June that killed at least eight people from a freight collision with a derailed passenger train.
