Two men lost their lives in separate accidents on Tuesday evening after reportedly falling from moving Mumbai suburban local trains of Central Railway, once again underlining the persistent dangers of overcrowding and the risks associated with daily commuting on the city’s railway lifeline.
The first incident occurred at around 7:14 p.m. near Ghatkopar Railway Station. An unidentified man, initially believed to be around 30 years old, was found lying in a severely injured state near platform no. 1, along the CSMT-end track between kilometer markers 18/160 and 18/162.
Station Master Rahul Satare immediately issued a memo to Government Railway Police Constable Gaikwad who, with assistance from railway porters and ambulance services, transported the injured man to Rajawadi Hospital. However, the man was declared dead before admission at 7:30 p.m. by the on-duty doctor, Dr. Yogita Chaudhary.
He was later identified as Babu Suresh Gorlapati, a 20-year-old resident of Andhra Pradesh. Authorities are investigating how he fell from the train, and efforts are underway to contact his family.
Just hours later, a second fatal accident occurred between Thane and Kalwa stations. Rohit Anil Sarode, 25, a resident of Mulund (West), fell from a moving local train on the down slow line near kilometer marker 34. The accident was reported before 9:45 p.m.
Emergency services rushed Sarode to Thane Civil Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival at 10:15 p.m. Sarode, who worked as a private vehicle driver, lived with his family in Lokmanya Nagar, Thane (West). His mother, Sangeeta Anil Sarode, 45, was informed and later took custody of the body after completing legal formalities for the last rites.
Both incidents have been registered as Accidental Death Reports under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) by the Government Railway Police (GRP) at Kurla and Thane, respectively. Further investigations are ongoing to determine the exact sequence of events that led to the fatalities.
“These tragic incidents once again shed light on the persistent issue of passenger safety on Mumbai’s local trains, which carry over 7 million commuters daily. Overcrowding during peak hours often forces passengers to hang by train doors or ride in unsafe conditions, making accidents alarmingly common,” said a passenger activist.
