At least 13 people were killed and around 15 others were injured during a train accident on Wednesday. Eyewitnesses said that a tea seller had sparked panic on board the Pushpak Express after erroneously claiming that there was a fire. The vendor had pulled the emergency chain while dozens jumped off the train in panic. They were subsequently run over by the Karnataka Express on an adjacent track.
“A tea seller started the rumour by claiming the train had caught fire. He himself pulled the emergency chain, and as the train slowed down, passengers began jumping out in a desperate attempt to save their lives,” India Today quoted an eyewitness as saying.
‘A sheer rumour about fire’
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar also backed the claim on Thursday — noting that the accident was the result of a “sheer rumour about fire”. He explained that the mishap began after a tea seller from the pantry shouted about a fire breaking out in a coach.
“Two passengers from Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh heard it and conveyed the false alarm to others, leading to confusion and panic in their general coach and the adjoining one. Some of the scared passengers jumped off the train from both the sides to save themselves,” Pawar said.
The Deputy CM said that people had started getting down after a passenger pulled the alarm chain and the train halted. They were consequently run over by the Karnataka Express on the adjacent track.
Authorities said that 10 of the deceased have been identified so far — including four victims from Nepal. Pawar said that the two passengers who reportedly spread the rumour were among those injured in the incident.
“We found a small space between the two trains and we laid down there by tightly holding on to each other, hence survived,” recalled Shaukat Ali — a worker from Nepal.
(With inputs from agencies)
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