Jalgaon:
In a devastating incident that unfolded on Wednesday evening in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, 13 passengers of the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express lost their lives after jumping off the train due to a false alarm of a fire. The tragic event occurred between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora town, where the Pushpak Express had halted following an alarm chain-pulling incident around 4:45 PM.
The passengers, fearing a blaze, hastily exited the train and were tragically run over by the oncoming Karnataka Express, which was traveling from Bengaluru to Delhi on adjacent tracks. According to Special Inspector General of Police Dattatraya Karale, eight of the 13 bodies have been identified, including four individuals from Nepal.
The identified Nepalese victims include Kamala Navin Bhandari, Javakala Bhate, Lachchiram Khataru Pasi, and an 11-year-old boy named Imtiyaz Ali. Out of the 15 injured, 10 are currently undergoing treatment, with nine at the Pachora civil hospital and one at a medical facility in Jalgaon city. The others who suffered minor injuries have been discharged.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, in a video message from Davos, Switzerland, expressed his condolences and explained that the passengers mistakenly assumed smoke was coming from the train, leading them to jump off. He announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased and assured that the state government would cover all medical expenses for the injured.
The Railway Board has also announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for grievous injuries, and Rs 5,000 for simple injuries. The Central Railway’s general manager and other senior officials visited the accident site and the hospitals where the injured were being treated.
The Pushpak Express, which was traveling from Lucknow to Mumbai, finally reached its destination at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) around 1:20 AM on Thursday. The incident highlights the critical importance of accurate communication and emergency protocols to prevent such tragedies.
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