Death Toll in Jalgaon Train Tragedy Likely to Rise: Maharashtra Minister

Mumbai: Maharashtra minister Gulabrao Patil on Wednesday said the death toll in the train tragedy in Jalgaon district is likely to rise.

Patil, the Guardian Minister of Jalgaon, said so far 11 passengers have died in the accident, while four others were seriously injured and shifted to a private hospital.

Seven people suffered minor injures, he said.

However, Special Inspector General of Police Dattatraya Karale, while talking to PTI, put the death toll at 12.

"The casualties are likely to increase," Patil said.

The passengers were killed when they jumped from their train in panic due to a `fire incident', only to be run over by another train on the adjacent tracks in North Maharashtra's Jalgaon district at around 5pm, officials said.

The accident took place near Pachora station, more than 400 km from Mumbai, where the 12533 Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express had halted after someone pulled the chain around 5 pm, Central Railway officials said.

Some passengers of the Pushpak Express jumped off, and were hit by the oncoming Karnataka Express heading from Bengaluru to Delhi, said Central Railway's chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila.

While the train was as at Dhuskheda, rumours spread that it had caught fire. There was chain pulling due to which the train halted which resulted in sparks due to friction. This further made passengers believe the Mumbai-bound train had caught fire, said the minister.

Commuters in one of the general compartments jumped off the train and some of them stepped on adjacent tracks, on which Delhi-bound Karnataka Express was coming at a speed of 130-140 kmph, Patil said. PTI PR RSY