On Wednesday (22 January) in Maharashtra, a rumor of fire spread in the Pushpak Express traveling from Lucknow to Mumbai. In panic, many passengers pulled the train's emergency chain and got off suddenly. Unfortunately, those who disembarked were hit by the approaching Karnataka Express on the adjacent track. In this tragic incident, 13 lives were lost. The disaster was so horrifying that tracks were littered with human remains and bodies.
The Pushpak Express was speeding towards Mumbai from Lucknow. It was 4:42 PM when the train, still 425 km away from Mumbai, reached the vicinity of Pachora station in Jalgaon, when the fire rumor wreaked massive devastation. Following this deadly event on the tracks, witnesses and family members of the victims have shared detailed accounts.
'My mother said— go ahead and sleep... suddenly, she exclaimed there was fire in the coach and to run... In the rush, I got off with the crowd... there was no fire, nor any smoke; I saw my mother's body on the adjoining track...' narrated Radha Bhandari, the widow of the deceased Kamla Bhandari. Radha explained that amidst the chaos she exited through one door while her mother fell from another door with another train passing beside it. Tapendra, Radha's brother-in-law and Kamla Bhandari's son, who had come from Mumbai to retrieve his mother's body, recounted his last conversation with her over the phone, where she had said, 'Take care... we'll arrive soon.'
'Those who got off from the left side of the coach survived'
According to media reports, Jagmohan Paswan, 48, who was present in the train at the time of the incident, stated, 'There were vendors in our coach, one of them shouted that there was fire. In seconds the train stopped, and people rushed towards the doors. My relative Uttam Paswan jumped off the train; he sustained severe injuries to his feet and head. Many who jumped from the right side of the coach were injured or lost their lives, while I got off from the left side and hence survived.'
'When I made it to the door, I saw 10 bodies on the adjacent track'
Sanjeev Singh, who was traveling to Shirdi on the same Pushpak Express, reported, 'Suddenly, there was an uproar that there was a fire. There certainly was smoke but not from any fire. However, panic had already set in. Once the train halted, people began jumping out, but by the time I reached the door, I saw about ten corpses on the adjacent track. Our coach was overcrowded, causing this incident, whereas everyone in the AC coaches was safe. It was unclear whether the smoke came from the pantry or the guard's braking.'
'I can never forget what I saw'
Mohammad Mulin, a relative of the heavily injured Mohammad Bilal, recounted, 'The coach was packed, with people hanging from the doors. They began jumping off. Soon, I saw mutilated bodies on the adjacent track. I can never forget what I saw.'
Locals from Pachora village rushed for assistance
Some people shared that seeing passengers jump off, the driver of the Karnataka Express stopped the train, but it took time to halt due to its high speed. Locals from the nearby Pachora village immediately rushed to help after the incident. When a railway official was questioned about the rumor of fire, he remained silent. Railway officials assert that some passengers who boarded from Jalgaon potentially triggered the chain pulling, causing people to exit on the tracks, where they were struck by the oncoming Karnataka Express.
Meanwhile, CM Devendra Fadnavis announced a compensation of 5 lakh rupees for the families of the deceased in the train accident. The railways also announced financial aid of 1.5 lakh rupees for the families of the deceased, 50 thousand for the seriously injured, and five thousand for other injured individuals.
Input - Omkar
