Collision between footboard passengers likely led to fall; Railways launch probe, Shinde, Mhaske express grief
Mumbai: At least four commuters aged between 30-35 years died after falling from two local trains near Diva station in Thane district at around 9.30 am. According to the officials,at least eight commuters hanging from the footboards of two passing trains brushed against each other due to overcrowding and fell off. Another five commuters, who fortunately did not fall off the trains, received minor injuries. In the wake of the tragic accident, the Railway Board has announced automatic door-closing mechanisms in all local trains.
The guard of one of the trains alerted railway authorities around 9.30 am, and all injured passengers were transported to hospitals by 9.50 am. Four of them were declared dead on arrival.
The deceased were identified as Ketan Saroj, Rahul Gupta, Mayur Shah and GRP constable Vicky Mukhyadal. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, confirmed that an injured passenger has stated that the fall occurred after commuters on opposite trains collided while standing on footboards.
“The injured commuter informed us that he was travelling on a footboard and his bag got stuck in something because of which he fell,” Mr. Nila said.
The CPRO also confirmed that there will be an investigation into the incident, but at the moment the priority will be to ensure proper treatment of injured commuters. “We will hold an inquiry to ascertain if the coaches involved in the incident were crowded beyond their capacity or not. Many times, we have seen that some commuters prefer to travel on a footboard even when the train is not at all crowded. An informant has informed us that there was a scuffle among the commuters in one of the trains. That angle will also be probed,” he said.
The Maharashtra government has announced Rs five lakh compensation to the relatives of the deceased. Maharashtra minister Girish Mahajan said, “The state government will provide Rs five lakh each to the kin of those who died in the incident. Financial assistance will also be given to the injured. The state government will bear all medical expenses of the injured persons and they will be provided the best treatment.”
The railway board announced that all new rakes currently under production for the Mumbai Suburban Railway will now come equipped with automatic door-closing mechanisms and existing rakes in service will be redesigned to incorporate door-closing features.
“The major issue with automatic door closing in non AC trains is suffocation because of reduced ventilation. After detailed discussions, it was decided that new non AC trains will be designed and manufactured where the key issue of ventilation will be resolved using three design changes. First, the doors will have louvres. Second, coaches will have roof mounted ventilation units to pump in fresh air. And third, the coaches will have vestibules so that passengers can move from one coach to another and balance out the crowd in a natural way. The first train of this new design will be ready by November 2025. After necessary tests and certification, it will be put into service by January 2026. This is in addition to the 238 AC trains being manufactured for Mumbai suburban services,” an official statement said.
While the railway announced an inquiry into the incident, the state Congress demanded the resignation of Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav’s resignation. “It was not just an accident, but four commuters lost their lives because of the apathy of state governments. An inquiry into the incident is not enough. Union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav should resign taking responsibility for the incident,” Maharashtra Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray also criticised the Union Railway minister. “This is not the first accident of this kind. Over the past two to three years, there have been multiple accidents in the railway sector. It’s terrible, yet no one is stepping up to take responsibility. The railway department and the minister alone are accountable. But the Railway Minister is busy making funny speeches in comic voices, creating reels instead of addressing the real concerns of millions of Indians who depend on railways daily,” he said.
