Jalgaon Train Accident: Revised Death Toll Reaches 12, Seven Victims Identified as Nepalese

The death toll from the Jalgaon train accident has been revised to 12. Officials confirmed on Thursday that a head and torso, initially thought to belong to different individuals, were of the same person. A state government official explained that the count was initially 13 because a woman's body and a head were found separately, but a man identified them as his mother's.

The tragic incident occurred when passengers of the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express disembarked after an alarm chain was pulled. They were then struck by the Karnataka Express on adjacent tracks on Wednesday evening. The Government Medical College in Jalgaon confirmed that the torso and head belonged to the same deceased female, identified by her son.

Investigation and Identification

A team of five senior railway officials has begun an inquiry into the accident, according to the Railway Board. The Central Railways chief spokesperson stated that all but one of the deceased have been identified. The bodies are being returned to their families.

Among those who died, seven were from Nepal, including Lachchiram Khataru Pasi. His family faced the distressing task of identifying him from mutilated remains. Pasi's companions, who survived, described how they huddled between two trains for safety.

Victims and Survivors

Earlier, authorities identified four Nepalese victims: Kamala Navin Bhandari, Javakala Bhate, Lachchiram Khataru Pasi, and Imtiyaz Ali. Pasi’s nephew Ramrang Pasi said his uncle was from Narainapur in Nepal's Banke district and was in his 50s. He was travelling with five others from Nepal to Thane via Lucknow.

Ramrang mentioned that parts of his uncle's hands and legs were missing. They recognised him by his face and clothes despite the terrifying sight. They wish to take his remains back to Nepal.

Eyewitness Accounts

Shaukat Ali, a worker from Nepal travelling with Lachchiram, recounted the chaos. "A fire rumour spread on the train," he said. "We saw smoke inside the bogie." As the train slowed, passengers hurriedly got off, only for another train to approach within minutes.

"Before we knew it, everyone was running in panic," Ali continued. "We found a small space between two trains and laid down there tightly holding each other." This quick thinking saved their lives.

Official Statements

The accident took place between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora town, about 400 km from Mumbai. Of the 15 injured passengers, 10 are receiving treatment—nine at Pachora civil hospital and one in Jalgaon city. Others with minor injuries have been discharged.

A Central Railway team visited hospitals on Wednesday night and distributed Rs 2.70 lakh ex gratia to nine injured passengers. Dilip Kumar from the Railway Board denied any spark or fire inside the coach caused passengers to pull the alarm chain.

Cause of Panic

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar stated that a tea seller's false fire alarm on the Pushpak Express led to panic. Two passengers from Uttar Pradesh heard it and spread it further, causing confusion in their coach and an adjoining one.

The Railway Board announced a five-member team is investigating the incident. This team includes senior officials like principal chief safety officer PCSO and principal chief security commissioner PCSC from Central Railway Zone.

Compensation Announcements

The Railways has declared Rs 1.50 lakh ex-gratia for families of deceased passengers, Rs 50,000 for seriously injured individuals, and Rs 5,000 for those with minor injuries. Accordingly, Rs 50,000 has been given to families of identified deceased individuals.

Swapnil Dhanraj Nila from Central Railway mentioned that preliminary inquiries by Railway Protection Force and Government Railway Police are underway to determine why passengers pulled the alarm chain on Pushpak Express.