Mumbai: In the early hours of Monday, a heartbreaking event occurred between Diva-Mumbra railway stations when passengers riding on the footboard of the train fell, resulting in injuries to several and the death of 4 individuals who landed on the tracks.
The cause of this incident stems from congestion and haste during the morning hours on the railway line. As stated by CRPO Swapnil Neela, the incident happened between two neighboring trains whose passengers riding on footboards collided with each other, leading to the accident.
Among four passengers, including a 34-year-old railway police constable, Vicky Babasaheb Mukhyadal, who was on duty, died after falling from local trains close to Mumbra in Thane. Mukhyadal, who moved from Kalyan GRP a year prior, was heading to work dressed in casual clothes. GRP officials commended his skills in solving crimes, indicating that his remains would soon be handed back to his family in Kalyan.
Around 9 am, Mukhyadal and other passengers stumbled near a railway station as two local trains were moving, one towards CSMT and the other towards Kasara. The event happened when passengers hanging onto the footboards of the train heading to Kasara crashed into those on the train going to CSMT.
The Central Railway verified that a train was traveling in the opposite direction simultaneously. The Mumbra police swiftly took the victims to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital, where four were declared dead, and seven others were injured.
Authorities suggested that overcrowding and standing passengers at the doors could have played a role in the incident and characterized the location as “accident-prone,” especially for rapid trains. Recent heavy rainfall was noted to potentially shorten the tracks' distance somewhat, heightening the risk during peak times. In reply, the Railway Board stated that upcoming trains for the Mumbai Suburban area will have automatic door-closing systems, with analogous updates intended for existing rakes. An extensive inquiry is currently taking place to identify the precise reason for the incident.
