At least 10 dead in train accident in Maharashtra

Jalgaon, Jan 22: At least 10 train passengers were killed after stepping down due to a rumour of fire and being run over by another train passing on the adjacent tracks in North Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district on Wednesday evening, officials said.

Ten to twelve persons had died, Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan told a news channel, citing information given by the district collector.

The accident took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora where the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express had halted after someone pulled the chain due to a rumour of fire around 5 pm, Central Railway officials said.

Some passengers of Pushpak Express stepped down, and were hit by the oncoming Karnataka Express heading from Bengaluru to Delhi, said Central Railway’s chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila.

The accident spot is more than 400 km away from Mumbai.

“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. At the same time, Karnataka Express was passing,” a senior railway official told PTI.

“Senior officials are reaching the spot, after which more information will be available,” said Maharashtra minister Gulabrao Patil who is also the guardian minister of Jalgaon.