At least 12 including four Nepalis dead as train runs over passengers near Jalgaon

At least 12 people were killed after stepping off their train onto the tracks, only to be run over by another train coming from the opposite direction in Jalgaon district, North Maharashtra, on Wednesday evening, Central Railway officials reported. Ten to twelve persons had died, Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan told a news channel, citing information given by the district collector.At least four out of the 13 persons killed in the Jalgaon train accident have been identified as hailing from Nepal, authorities said on Thursday.

A minor boy and two women were among the four Nepalese victims, they said.

At least 13 persons were killed and 15 injured after some passengers of the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express, who got off the train after an alarm chain-pulling incident, were run over by the Karnataka Express on the adjacent tracks in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district on Wednesday evening.

The incident occurred near Pardhade station, close to Pachora, where the Pushpak Express had stopped after a passenger pulled the emergency chain due to a false rumor of a fire onboard around 5 pm. Pachora is located over 400 km from Mumbai.

Some passengers of the Pushpak Express exited the train and were struck by the approaching Karnataka Express, according to Swapnil Nila, the chief spokesperson for Central Railway.

“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 on the tracks. At the same time, Karnataka Express was passing on the adjoining track,” a senior railway official said.

Maharashtra Minister Gulabrao Patil, the guardian minister of Jalgaon, stated that senior officials are on their way to the site, and further details will be provided soon.

Govt and pvt hospitals being kept ready for receiving injured: Fadnavis

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis stated on Wednesday that Jalgaon General Hospital, along with nearby private hospitals, is being prepared to treat passengers injured in the train tragedy.

“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, who is in Davos, posted on X.