12 dead as passengers jump on tracks fearing fire, run over by another train in Jalgaon district

Jalgaon: At least 12 passengers were killed on Wednesday evening when they jumped from their Mumbai-bound train in panic due to a false fire alarm, only to be tragically run over by another train on the adjacent tracks here, officials said.

The tragedy unfolded when passengers onboard the 12533 Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express, fearing a blaze when sparks flew from the train's wheels, hastily jumped onto the adjacent tracks and were run over by the oncoming Karnataka Express heading from Bengaluru to Delhi, they said.

As many as 15 other passengers were injured in the accident, which took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora town in North Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, when Pushpak Express halted after someone pulled the chain around 4.45 pm, Central Railway officials said.

In a video message from Davos in Switzerland, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Some passengers in the train mistakenly assumed that smoke is coming out of the train and they jumped. Unfortunately, they were ran over by another train." He announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the passengers who died in the tragedy, while the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Central Circle, will probe the circumstances leading to the accident.

"The tragic loss of lives in a very unfortunate incident near Pachora in Jalgaon district (which) is deeply distressing. I pay my heartfelt tributes to them," Fadnavis posted on X.

Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said prima facie passengers of Pushpak Express jumped off the train amid rumours of a fire on board the train.

Special Inspector General of Police Dattatraya Karale told PTI that a "fire incident" occurred on Pushpak Express. The train stopped, and some passengers disembarked and stepped on the tracks when they were run over by New Delhi-bound Karnataka Express, he added.

Jalgaon district information officer Yuvraj Patil said 12 passengers were killed in the tragedy, while 15 others were injured.

Pushpak Express departed from the spot in just 15 minutes, while the Karnataka Express was removed within 20 minutes after the accident, a Railway official said.

A passenger told a Marathi news channel that panic gripped passengers after some of them saw sparks flying from the wheels of the train when brakes were applied.

"Some passengers pulled the emergency chain and got down on the tracks, leading to the tragedy," he said.

Visuals of the spot show mutilated body parts lying along a stretch of the railway track.

Residents of nearby villages rushed to the spot to offer help.

Salman Pathan, a resident of Pachora, said he saw mutilated bodies on the tracks.

"We saw the headless body of a man. A woman was inconsolable after her husband lost his life in the accident, his body badly mangled," he said.

A senior Railway official said preliminary information suggests sparks and smoke inside one of the general coaches of Pushpak Express due to either `hot axle' or `brake-binding' (jamming).

Manoj Arora, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Central Circle, said he would reach the accident site, over 400 km from Mumbai, on Thursday morning.

Arora, also holding additional charge of CRS, Western Circle, said statements of passengers and other eye-witnesses will be recorded.

"We will invite passengers and other eye-witnesses. They can share their version about the accident," he said.

A track curvature prima facie affected visibility for Karnataka Express, officials said.

They said drivers of both trains followed protocols and tried their best to avoid the accident.

A senior Central Railway official said the driver of Pushpak Express had turned on the flasher light as per the rule when the train stopped between Maheji and Pardhade stations.

He said the driver of Karnataka Express applied brakes after seeing the flasher light signal of Pushpak Express.

"However, the visibility of the train (Karnataka Express) and its braking distance was affected by the track curvature," he added citing preliminary information.

According to officials, trains run at more than 100 kmph in this section which falls under the trunk route of the Central Railway.