Track curvature affected Karnataka Express visibility and braking distance: Officials

Mumbai: A track curvature prima facie affected the visibility for the Karnataka Express train which mowed down at least 12 passengers in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, railway officials said.

The passengers of Lucknow-CSMT Pushpak Express got down on tracks amid a fire rumour, only to be tragically run over by the Karnataka Express train on the adjacent tracks on Wednesday evening, officials said.

Fifteen persons were also injured in the incident.

Drivers of both the trains followed the protocol and tried their best to avoid the accident, the railway officials said.

The driver of the Lucknow-CSMT Pushpak Express had turned on the flasher light as per the rule when the train stopped between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora, more than 400 km from Mumbai, a senior Central Railway official said.

The Karnataka Express driver applied brakes after seeing the flasher light signal of Pushpak Express, he said.

"However, the visibility of the train (Karnataka Express) and its braking distance was affected by the track curvature," the official said citing preliminary information.

Trains run at more than 100 kmph in this section which falls under the trunk route of the Railways, according to officials.

The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday when passengers onboard Pushpak Express, fearing a blaze, hastily jumped onto the adjacent tracks and were run over by the oncoming Karnataka Express heading from Bengaluru to Delhi, they said.

As many as 15 other passengers were injured in the accident, which took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora town in North Maharashtra's Jalgaon district, when Pushpak Express halted after someone pulled the chain around 4.45 pm, Central Railway officials said.

Dilip Kumar, Executive Director, Information and Publicity, Railway Board, however, denied that any spark or fire inside the coach caused passengers to pull the alarm.

In a video message from Davos in Switzerland, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, "Some passengers in the train mistakenly assumed that smoke is coming out of the train and they jumped. Unfortunately, they were run over by another train." He announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of the kin of the passengers who died in the tragedy, while the Commissioner of Railway Safety, Central Circle, will probe the circumstances leading to the accident.

The Railway Board separately announced an ex-gratia of Rs 1.5 lakh each to the kin of the deceased, Rs 50,000 for grievous wounds and Rs 5,000 for simple injuries.

Manoj Arora, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS), Central Circle, said he would reach the accident site, over 400 km from Mumbai, on Thursday morning.

Arora, also holding additional charge of CRS, Western Circle, said statements of passengers and other eye-witnesses will be recorded.

"We will invite passengers and other eye-witnesses. They can share their version about the accident," he said.