A tragic railway accident in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district killed four passengers on Sunday around 4:15 pm after panic spread inside the Khajuraho-Udaipur Intercity Express following a rumour of fire. The incident occurred between Hetampur and Dholpur railway stations in the Jhansi Division, according to preliminary information shared by North Central Railway.
Train No. 19665 Khajuraho-Udaipur Intercity Express had come to a halt after the Alarm Chain Pulling mechanism was activated in a general coach. Soon after the train stopped, several passengers reportedly got down and moved towards a neighbouring railway track. At the same time, Train No. 20424 Firozpur-Seoni Patalkot Express was approaching on the Up line and struck some of the passengers.
The accident resulted in four deaths. The deceased have been identified as Afreen, 35, wife of Nadeem Khan from Agra; her four-year-old son; Shakuntala, 60, also from Agra; and Virma Devi, 60, from Bikaner in Rajasthan. A woman passenger said panic started after someone pulled the emergency chain and shouted that a fire had broken out. She said people immediately began getting off the train, and some passengers were hit while crossing or standing near the adjacent track.
Soon after the incident was reported, officials from the Railway Administration, Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police and the local administration reached the spot. Relief and assistance operations were launched, and railway officials said necessary support is being provided to the affected passengers and their families.
The reason behind the Alarm Chain Pulling has not yet been confirmed. A detailed inquiry has been ordered to determine the exact sequence of events and the circumstances that led to the tragedy. A committee comprising senior Judge Advocate General level railway officers has been formed to investigate the incident.
Railway authorities have appealed to passengers not to get down from trains without authorisation, whether the train is moving or stationary. Officials also urged travellers to avoid stepping onto railway tracks during emergencies and to wait for instructions from railway staff.
