THIRTEEN people were killed and 15 others injured on Wednesday after a fire rumour on the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express caused panic among passengers, leading some to jump off the train.
The victims were run over by another train, the Karnataka Express, on an adjacent track in Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, officials said.
Ayush Prasad, a senior official in Jalgaon district, confirmed the incident, which occurred around 400 kilometres from Mumbai. “People were run over by a train,” he said.
According to Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, the accident stemmed from a “sheer rumour” about a fire, reportedly spread by a tea seller on board the Pushpak Express. This led to the pulling of the train’s alarm chain, and some passengers jumping off in panic.
India’s home minister Amit Shah expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. “Deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident,” Shah said.
Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis described the incident as “deeply disturbing” and said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of lives” in a post on X.
The incident highlights ongoing safety issues in India’s vast railway network, which carries millions of passengers daily.
While the government has launched a railway modernisation programme, aimed at improving infrastructure and boosting connectivity, safety concerns remain.
Between 2017 and 2021, official records show that an average of 20,000 people lost their lives annually in rail-related accidents.
In one of the most serious accidents in recent years, nearly 300 people were killed in 2023 after a collision involving a passenger train, a stationary goods train, and another fast-moving passenger service.
(With inputs from agencies)
Shy Burhan 
Dr Jamilla Hussain
A workshop funded by a Dying Matters grant
Rubina Khalid