Jalgaon train tragedy: 7 Nepalese among 13 dead; 11 victims identified

synopsis

Train accident

A devastating train accident in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district resulted in 13 fatalities, with seven of the victims hailing from Nepal, according to Yuvaraj Patil, the district information officer. Initially, authorities reported that four victims were from Nepal, but further identification revealed a higher number. So far, 11 of the 13 victims have been identified. One of the victims, Lachchiram Khataru Pasi, left behind a grieving family who endured the harrowing experience of identifying his remains from severely mutilated body parts.

The devastating train accident occurred on Wednesday (Jan 22) evening when passengers from the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express disembarked following an emergency chain-pulling incident. Tragically, they were struck by the Karnataka Express on adjacent tracks. Survivors of the incident, who were companions of victim Lachchiram Khatari Pasi, recounted how they narrowly escaped death by huddling in a cramped space between the two trains.

Initial reports identified four Nepalese victims: Kamala Navin Bhandari, a 43-year-old resident of Colaba in Mumbai; Javakala Bhate, a 60-year-old from Bhiwandi in Thane; Lachchiram Khataru Pasi, 40; and 11-year-old Imtiyaz Ali. Authorities later confirmed that seven of the 13 fatalities were from Nepal.

Recounting the horror, Shaukat Ali, a worker from Nepal who was travelling with Lachchiram, said, as quoted by PTI, "A fire rumour was spread in the train. We saw smoke inside the bogie. When the train slowed, we hastily stepped down and the train got empty.

As the passengers disembarked, a second train approached from the opposite direction within minutes. Chaos erupted as people scrambled to save themselves, but there was nowhere to escape, leaving them in a desperate and terrifying situation.

"We found small space between the two trains and we laid down there, tightly holding each other, hence we survived," Ali said.

Out of the injured persons, 10 were undergoing treatment -- nine at Pachora civil hospital and one at a medical facility in Jalgaon city. The others who suffered minor injuries were discharged, an official said.

A five-member team of senior railway officials from the Central Railway Zone has begun investigating the Jalgaon train tragedy. The team comprises the Principal Chief Safety Officer (PCSO), Principal Chief Security Commissioner (PCSC), Principal Chief Electrical Engineer (PCEE), Principal Chief Mechanical Engineer (PCME), and Principal Chief Commercial Manager (PCCM).