2 trespassers killed on tracks in Nashik, railway denies train fall reports

Mumbai: Two people were killed and one injured after trespassing on railway tracks in Nashik district, the Central Railway said on Monday, dismissing reports that passengers had fallen from the Karmabhoomi Express.

The incident, which occurred on Saturday night, involved trespassers and not train passengers, the Central Railway (CR) said.

A few individuals, who were not travelling on the train, were injured while trespassing on the railway tracks between Nashik and Odha on Saturday night, CR's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said.

He said some media reports and social media posts incorrectly claimed that three youth fell from the overcrowded Karmabhoomi Express while travelling from Mumbai to Raxaul (Bihar), resulting in the death of two and injuries to one near Nashik Road station.

"This is false. No passenger fell from the train. It was a case of trespassing," Nila said, appealing to the public not to spread rumours.

According to railway authorities, the injured persons were immediately shifted to a hospital for treatment, where two of them were declared dead.

The third injured person, identified as Jimal Shyamji, regained consciousness and told authorities that they were labourers from Malegaon town who had come to Nashik after visiting Shirdi. After consuming alcohol in Nashik, they attempted to cross the railway tracks when two trains arrived from opposite directions, hitting them, Nila said.

As per railway officials, the group of persons, originally hailing from Dahod in Gujarat, was working as construction labourers in Malegaon.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has launched an investigation into the matter.

The railway authorities, through their social media handles, appealed to the public to verify facts before sharing any information and refrain from spreading misinformation.

The Press Information Bureau (PIB), through its Factcheck handle, also clarified that the claims about the death of two passengers after falling from Mumbai-Bihar Karmabhoomi Express is "fake".

"The concerned persons were not on board the train. This incident was of trespassing (illegal entry) between Nashik and Odha," it said.

Strict action has been initiated against people who circulate fake videos targeting railways on social media, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said on Sunday after reviewing crowd management measures at Anand Vihar railway station in Delhi.