Outlook Business Desk
Several passengers fell from a moving Mumbai local train between Diva and Mumbra stations in Thane district due to overcrowding. The incident occurred on Monday morning.
According to police and railway officials, the accident resulted in the deaths of 5 passengers, while at least 13 others sustained serious injuries. All the victims were immediately rushed to nearby hospitals for urgent medical treatment and care.
The incident happened on a Kasara-CSMT local train. Most of the passengers were reportedly hanging near the doors when the train was heavily crowded during morning peak hours.
Swapnil Dhanraj Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said the mishap occurred after passengers on the footboards of two trains collided—one headed to Kasara, the other to CSMT Mumbai.
Dhanraj Nila said, "It is not a collision. In this incident, passengers travelling on the footboards of trains moving in opposite directions got entangled. This is one of the suspected reasons for the incident, as informed by a passenger. The distance between two trains is 1.5 to 2 meters, but on curves, a slight tilt occurs, and this could be an additional reason for the incident," he added.
Police and railway officials arrived promptly at the scene following the incident. Injured passengers were quickly transported to nearby hospitals, and a thorough investigation into the cause has been initiated.
After the accident, the Railway Board directed all Mumbai suburban train rakes under production to include automatic door closers. Existing rakes will be upgraded with redesigned door closure systems.