Panic over fire rumour leads to deadly train crash in India

DELHI (DW): A rumour that a fire had started on a moving train in western India led to panic and the deaths of at least 12 people. Some passengers jumped off the train with the supposed fire and were hit by another train.

It happened in Maharashtra State, between Maheji and Pardhade stations, approximately 410 kilometres northeast of India’s financial capital, Mumbai.

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According to the Press Trust of India news agency, passengers jumped off the Pushpak Express train bound for Mumbai after rumours of a fire. Some passengers pulled an emergency chain, causing the train to stop.

Those who jumped were hit by another express train passing on the adjacent track, railway spokesman Swapnil Nila said.

“Our preliminary information is that there were sparks inside one of the coaches of the Pushpak Express due to either a ‘hot axle’ or ‘brake-binding’ [jamming], and some passengers panicked,” a senior railway official told PTI.

“They pulled the chain, and some of them jumped down on the tracks. At the same time, the Karnataka Express was passing on the adjoining track.”

India’s Interior Minister Amit Shah expressed his “deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident.”

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the victims’ families will receive compensation from the authorities, adding that the state government will also cover the cost of treatment for those injured.

India has one of the largest railway systems in the world, but the aging system dates back to British colonial rule and is now subject to annual deadly accidents. A 2023 accident killed nearly 300 people.

India has one of the largest railway systems in the world, but the aging system dates back to British colonial rule and is now subject to annual deadly accidents. A 2023 accident killed nearly 300 people.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has invested billions of dollars into modernising train infrastructure. However, analysts believe the antiquated system of the world’s most populous country still has a long way to go.