People at the site following the death of several passengers after they stepped down due to a rumour of fire and were run over by another train passing on the adjacent tracks, in North Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, Wednesday, Jan. 22, 2025.
Credit: PTI Photo
Mumbai: There was chaos as people ran helter-skelter after the speeding Karnataka Express bolting from the blue and hit the passengers who had deboarded the Pushpak Express between Maheji and Pardhane stations at Pachora in Jalgaon district of Maharashtra following reports of fire.
"Because of the application of brakes, there seem to be some sparks and the train stopped. Later we came to know that there was chain pulling," said Vishal Yadav, who escaped with minor injuries.
"As people got down, they did not realise about the other train. When it came all of a sudden, there was confusion and chaos and people ran helter-skelter. They are hit by the train...I fell and sustained a minor injury," he said.
Another passenger Dada Jadhav said that it appeared that some people in a sleeper coach mistook the spark as fire. "They came down and did not realise about the movement of the other train. I saw a couple of people coming down under the running train," said Jadhav.
"There was total confusion. There were dead bodies on the tracks. There was blood...it was disturbing and shocking...I have never seen such a thing before," added Suresh, a general bogie passenger.
"People did not realise what happened...it happened like a bolt from the blue," said Naresh Singh.