&w=3840&q=100)
Mumbai locals to have automatic doors, says railways as four die after fall
The Railway Board has decided that all new suburban trains in Mumbai will be equipped with automatic doors, while existing rakes will also be retrofitted with the system, a senior railway official confirmed on Monday.
The announcement follows a fatal incident near Mumbra railway station in Maharashtra's Thane district during peak hours, where four people lost their lives and nine others were injured after falling from two overcrowded local trains.
Collision on curve during peak travel hours
According to police, the two local trains were crossing each other on a sharp curve when the accident occurred. Many commuters were hanging from the doors, and their backpacks reportedly brushed against each other, leading to a collision that caused several passengers to fall onto the tracks.
The guard on the Kasara-bound train alerted officials to the incident. Emergency services rushed the victims to nearby hospitals, where four were declared dead on arrival.
Victims and eyewitness accounts
The deceased have been identified as Ketan Saroj, Rahul Gupta, Mayur Shah, and Vicky Mukhyad, a constable with the Thane Government Railway Police.
Swapnil Dhanraj Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, confirmed that all the victims had been standing on the footboards of packed compartments. One injured commuter recounted that the passengers fell after those on the footboards of both trains collided during the curve.
Around 7.5 million commuters rely on Mumbai's local trains daily.
Political response and public outcry
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis confirmed that an investigation is underway. Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said that support is being extended to the families of the victims, while Deputy CM Ajit Pawar highlighted the urgent need to address chronic overcrowding and safety issues in the city's suburban rail network.
Responding to public outrage, Shinde stated, 'A high-powered Railways committee will investigate the matter. The truth will come out, and if anyone is found guilty, strict action will be taken.'
Opposition leaders criticise government
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed condolences to the victims' families and used the occasion to criticise the Centre. In a post on X, he wrote, 'While the Modi Government is celebrating 11 years of service, the reality of the country is reflected in the tragic news from Mumbai… Indian Railways is the backbone of the lives of crores of people, but today it has become a symbol of insecurity, congestion and chaos.'
He added, '11 years of Modi government = no accountability, no change, only propaganda.'
Sharad Pawar, chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar), also called for safety upgrades. 'The Central Railway should increase local trains on important routes. Necessary measures should be implemented immediately for the safety of passengers. It is well known that the increased crowding in local trains is the main reason. After such accidents, it is not right to blame the passengers for their deaths,' he said.
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi offered a sharp rebuke to railway authorities. 'The Railways should just shut up about what they are planning to do because none of them have been delivered as far as Mumbai local trains are concerned. These are not deaths by overcrowding but murders executed by an apathetic Reel Minister and the government of Maharashtra,' she posted on X.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Two nuns held in Chhattisgarh over 'conversion bid, trafficking'
RAIPUR: Three people, including two nuns, were arrested from Durg station in BJP-governed Chhattisgarh on charges of trafficking three tribal girls, all under 23, from Maoist-affected Narayanpur and attempting their religious conversion under the guise of giving them nursing jobs in Agra. The arrests on July 25 followed a complaint from a Bajrang Dal worker, sparking a political storm with Congress alleging that minorities were being targeted under the BJP-led administration. But CM Vishnu Deo Sai justified the action, claiming this was a case of "human trafficking under the guise of religious conversion". Those arrested were identified as Sister Preeti Mary (45) and Sister Vandana Francis (50), both from a Kerala denomination, and Sukaman Mandavi (19) from Narayanpur. A GRP official claimed the tribal women were brought to Durg station by Mandavi without intimation to gram panchayat officials in their Narayanpur village and written consent from their parents. The three accused were produced before a local court and sent to jail on judicial remand. The tribal women were sent to Sakhi Centre, a govt shelter. Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi alleged that arrests pointed to "BJP-RSS mob rule". "Two Catholic nuns jailed in Chhattisgarh after being targeted for their faith. This isn't justice. It reflects a dangerous pattern, systematic persecution of minorities. We demand their immediate release," he said on X.
United News of India
7 hours ago
- United News of India
Home Minister should take responsibility for Pahalgam attack: Congress' Gaurav Gogoi
New Delhi, July 28 (UNI) Congress Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi today asserted that Home Minister Amit Shah should be held accountable for the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, and cannot deflect responsibility onto J&K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. Speaking during the discussion on Operation Sindoor in the Lok Sabha, Gogoi said: "The Home Minister comes and says that everything is well arranged. The backbone of terrorism has been broken. Yet, Uri happens, Pulwama happens, and Pahalgam happens. In the end, who takes responsibility? The Lieutenant Governor of J&K? No. If responsibility has to be taken, then Hon'ble Home Minister, it is you who must take the responsibility." He also said that all the blame for the Pahalgam attack was placed on the tour operator, with the claim that the operator took tourists to Pahalgam without permission and without informing the government. He questioned this logic of "evading responsibility", asking how such an argument could be justified. He further pointed out that 100 days have passed since the Pahalgam attack, yet the four terrorists involved have not been apprehended. The terrorists came, were given shelter, carried out an attack in Pahalgam for an hour, and escaped—yet not a single one has been caught. Mr. Gogoi said, 'Those who gave shelter to the terrorists have not been caught, those who supplied them with weapons have not been caught, and those who helped them escape safely after the attack have also not been apprehended. The government has drones, Pegasus, and the Central Reserve Police Force—so why, Home Minister, have the terrorists and their accomplices still not been captured?' He said that in Pahalgam, terrorists fired at unarmed tourists for an hour, and no one came to their aid. Even the ambulance took an hour to reach the scene. 'Who will answer these questions?' he asked. Gogoi further alleged that the central government is so arrogant that no matter how serious its mistakes are, no one is allowed to question it. He said, "At the time of the Pahalgam attack, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Saudi Arabia and completed all his scheduled programs there. After returning to India, he did not visit Pahalgam but instead went to Bihar to deliver an election speech. If anyone went to Pahalgam, it was our leader Rahul Gandhi. It would have been much better if he had gone to Pahalgam." The Congress Deputy Leader said, "The phrase "we will strike inside their territory" has been heard often—first after the 2016 terrorist attack, and again after the Pahalgam attack. Now, he said, it is being claimed that Operation Sindoor is still ongoing, which implies that Pakistan will carry out another terrorist attack, and then there will be another response under Operation Sindoor". He further stated that after the ceasefire, it was said, 'Our objective was not war; our objective was not to capture Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.' He questioned, 'If we are not going to take Pakistan-occupied Kashmir now, then when will we?' Gogoi also demanded when the whole Opposition and the country was with the Government then why did the ceasefire happen. "The entire country and the Opposition were with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, but on the evening of May 10, news of a ceasefire emerged. In such a situation, Narendra Modi should explain- Why did this ceasefire happen? When Pakistan was ready to kneel, why did you stop? and Who did you bow to, who did you surrender to?" Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh while participating in the discussion slammed Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi saying that the Jorhat MP failed to acknowledge the sacrifices of Indian soldiers. He also accused the UPA for rise in terrorism in the country. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee raised concerns over the ceasefire decision. He also criticised the Prime Minister for remaining silent on US President Donald Trump's repeated assertions about playing a role in ending the India-Pakistan conflict. 'Why was a ceasefire declared under pressure from the American President?' he questioned. UNI RBE RN
News18
8 hours ago
- News18
Pakistan: Three coaches of Jaffer Express derail due to explosion; 1 injured
Peshawar, Jul 28 (PTI) Three coaches of the Quetta-bound Jaffer Express train derailed due to an explosion on Monday, leaving one injured in Pakistan's southeast Sindh province, officials said. While railway officials said that it may take up to another five hours to restore the track from rain traffic, the Sindh administration has ordered an investigation into the incident. Sukkur Railways Divisional Superintendent Jamshaid Alam said the Jaffar Express was travelling from Peshawar to Quetta when it got caught in an explosion near Shikarpur in Sindh Province. Rescue teams from Sukkur were immediately dispatched to start repair work. 'Following the blast, train operations have been suspended," Alam said, adding that passengers 'faced serious difficulties due to the derailment". This is not the first time the train has suffered such an incident. In June, the detonation of a remote-controlled explosive device fitted to rail tracks derailed four bogies of the Jaffar Express near the cattle market in Jacobabad. No one was injured in the incident, but the attack was reportedly claimed by the banned Baloch Republican Guards in a statement. On March 11, the train became the target of an unprecedented hijacking when terrorists fired on the locomotive and took over 400 passengers hostage. PTI AYZ NSD NSD First Published: July 29, 2025, 02:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
