Passenger jump off train over fire rumour
Morena: At least four people lost their lives in a tragic railway accident in Madhya Pradesh's Morena district after passengers reportedly jumped off a train following rumours of a fire and were struck by an oncoming express train on an adjacent track.
The incident occurred near Hetampur railway station on Sunday evening, prompting an immediate rescue and relief operation by railway authorities and local administration officials.
According to officials, panic spread among passengers after reports of a possible fire onboard the train. Amid the confusion, an alarm chain was reportedly pulled in one of the general coaches, bringing the train to an unscheduled halt.
As fear gripped the passengers, several individuals got down from the train and stepped onto a nearby railway track.
While passengers were on the tracks, Train No. 20424 Firozpur–Seoni Patalkot Express approached from the opposite direction. With little time to react, several people were hit by the speeding train, resulting in multiple fatalities.
In its preliminary statement, the Railways said some passengers pulled the emergency chain and disembarked before moving along or attempting to cross the tracks.
Officials maintained that there was no operational lapse on the part of the Railways, stating that the accident occurred after passengers entered an active railway line following the chain-pulling incident.
Authorities have launched an investigation to establish the exact sequence of events and assess whether additional safety measures are needed to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Further details are awaited as rescue teams and railway officials continue their assessment of the accident site.
