Curiosity over a dead body on track killed four more people in a tragic event in Uttar Pradesh. Photo: iStock
Five killed near Prayagraj as curiosity turns fatal on tracks
A chain of events beginning with one death on the Delhi-Howrah line ended with four more lives lost when passengers stepped onto the tracks during an unscheduled halt
A tragic event unfolded on the Delhi-Howrah railway in Prayagraj. A dead body on the track and an unscheduled halt led to the deaths of four others on Wednesday (April 15) in an unfortunate series of events.
According to reports, around 6:15 pm on Wednesday, the loco pilot of the Kalka Express stopped the train after it hit a person on the track near Pachdevra village. When the passengers of the train stepped outside to check out the accident out of curiosity, they were hit by another train on the adjacent track, killing them instantly.
Passengers step onto tracks
When the Kalka Express halted, several passengers from the general coaches disembarked onto the tracks. According to Hindustan Times, Shashikant Tripathi, chief public relations officer of North Central Railway, confirmed to the media house that the accident occurred after passengers "disembarked from the general coaches of the train and remained on the tracks during the halt."
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Within moments, the Purushottam Express arrived on an adjacent track from the opposite direction, striking four of the passengers who were still on the line, killing them on the spot. The deaths of the five people also disrupted train movement on the Howrah-Delhi route for a period of time.
Victims identified, two still unknown
The person who was initially killed has been identified as Baliram Bhagat, 36, a resident of Siwan in Bihar.
Out of the four passengers who were hit by Purushottam Express, two have been identified. As reported by Jagran, they are Sunil Kumar, son of Santlal, from Neebi Bisundpur village in Mirzapur; and Aakash, 19, son of Giriraj, from Khairgarh in Firozabad. The remaining two victims are yet to be identified.
Officials arrive, probe launched
Senior officials, including Additional Police Commissioner Dr Ajay Pal Sharma, DCP Yamunanagar Vivek Chandra Yadav and GRP SP Prashant Verma, rushed to the spot. All bodies were removed from the tracks and sent for post-mortem examination.
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GRP SP Prashant Verma told Jagran: "A total of five people have lost their lives in the accident. The accident is being investigated. If any criminal charges are found, a case will be filed and legal action will be taken."
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the deaths and directed officials to reach the site immediately. A formal investigation into the incident has been launched by the railways as well.