An ordinary train journey turned into a nightmare for passengers on the Pushpak Express headed for Mumbai. At least 12 passengers were killed on Wednesday evening in North Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district.
The passengers reportedly panicked due to a rumoured fire incident and jumped from their train, only to be run over by another train on the adjacent tracks.
Several others were injured and were rushed to nearby hospitals.
Here’s all we know about the incident.
The Pushpak Express tragedy
The tragic incident took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora, about 400 kilometres away from Mumbai, at around 5 pm on January 22.
The Pushpak Express, a Daily Superfast Express train that runs between Lucknow and Mumbai, had reportedly halted after someone pulled the chain due to a fire rumour, according to Central Railway officials.
Some passengers jumped off the express train and were hit by the oncoming Karnataka Express, which was heading from Bengaluru to Delhi, Central Railway’s Chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila said.
Heartbreaking images shared on social media show bodies strewn across tracks and medical teams evacuating the injured.
The death toll, at the time of writing this article, was 12. As many as 10 more passengers were injured, four of them critically. The missing body parts have further compounded the search.
Railway officials have rushed to the spot near Paranda railway station in Pachora town to oversee the rescue operation.
People gather at the site following the death of several passengers after they stepped down due to a rumour of fire and were run over by another train passing on the adjacent tracks, in North Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, Wednesday, January 22, 2025. PTI
Dr Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Central Railways, said arrangements for ambulances have been made and an accident relief train has been dispatched from Bhusaval.
On X, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis also said the district administration was closely coordinating with the railway authorities, and eight ambulances were dispatched with General Hospital and other nearby private hospitals on standby.
He added emergency tools like glass cutters and floodlights are kept ready.
Rumoured fire
At around 4 pm, some passengers of the 12533 Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express spotted some sparking and suspected that their coach had caught fire. They reportedly pulled the chain near Pachora.
To escape the fire, about 30-35 passengers, mostly from the general compartment, leapt from the coach, unaware that another train, the Karnataka Express, travelling at over 130 kilometres per hour, was approaching on the adjacent track.
A senior railway official told PTI, “Our preliminary information is that there were sparks inside one of the coaches of Pushpak Express due to either ‘hot axle’ or ‘brake-binding’ (jamming), and some passengers panicked. They pulled the chain, and some of them jumped down on the tracks. At the same time, Karnataka Express was passing on the adjoining track.”
The authorities have confirmed there was no fire.
Dr Nila said the exact cause of the alarm chain pulling is still being investigated.
Another official claimed that a curve in the rails significantly impaired the visibility, making it impossible for the passengers and the locomotive driver to notice one another in time to prevent the tragedy, according to The Indian Express newspaper.
Due to the curve of the rails, the Karnataka Express driver was unable to apply the brakes in time, even though the Pushpak Express driver had triggered the flasher lights per protocol.
Passengers were also unable to see the approaching train because of this curve.
At least 12 passengers were killed in the incident, according to officials. PTI
The Karnataka Express was running between Bengaluru and New Delhi.
Meanwhile, both trains have reached their respective stations, and the accident site has been cleared.
'Aag lag gayi…'
Vishal Yadav, who escaped with minor injuries, was quoted by the Deccan Herald, “Because of the application of brakes, there seem to be some sparks and the train stopped. Later we came to know that there was chain pulling.”
“As people got down, they did not realise about the other train. When it came all of a sudden, there was confusion and chaos and people ran helter-skelter. They are hit by the train… I fell and sustained a minor injury,” he added.
Another passenger Deependra Pariyal said that the rumour “Aag lag gayi (A fire has broken out)” triggered huge panic among the passengers in the general coach.
Suresh, who was in the general compartment, said, “There was total confusion. There were dead bodies on the tracks. There was blood… it was disturbing and shocking… I have never seen such a thing before.”
Pooja Singh, a 19-year-old who was on the train with her mother, said, “We were sleeping when people began screaming. Someone said that the train had caught fire. My mother took me near a door and told me to jump, but I was scared and couldn’t. My heart sank as I saw passengers standing on the track getting hit by another train. All this happened so quickly that I could not understand anything.”
Shamim Ahmed and his brother Anees, who spoke to reporters from a relief camp set up by the Army at the accident site, said that after a strong jolt due to abrupt chain-pulling, some passengers fell from their berths.
“We were in the reserved coach, so we did not understand what had happened. If people were patient, the accident would not have happened.”
About deceased
Jalgaon District Collector Ayush Prasad told The Indian Express that the dead included nine men and three women.
Six bodies have been identified so far, and three of them were Nepal nationals.
Four of the 10 injured were in critical condition.
The Railway Ministry announced ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh for those dead, Rs 50,000 for grievous injuries, and Rs 5,000 for simple injuries.
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw condoled the deaths and sought complete information about the tragedy.
CM Fadnavis expressed condolences and announced Rs 5 lakh in financial assistance for the families of those who lost their lives.
The state government will also cover all medical expenses for the injured.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Minister Amit Shah, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath also mourned the deaths.
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