Mumbai train tragedy: ‘Killer bag’ brushed against passengers, causing deadly fall, says eyewitness

Hours after the practice accident shut to Mumbra in Thane district killed four individuals on Monday, an eyewitness and co-traveller said the tragedy turn out to be as soon as triggered by a obtain standard by a commuter on a passing practice which brushed against those hanging on the footboard, inflicting a domino-like tumble.

Dipak Shirsat, a resident of Ulhasnagar in Thane district, lost his friend Ketan Saroj (23) within the accident which happened when passengers travelling on the footboards of two overcrowded native trains fell off when the trains crossed every on a steep flip. Judicious one of the most trains turn out to be as soon as heading in direction of Kasara and completely different Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai.

In step with Shirsat, a day to day commuter who travelled with the sufferer Saroj, the 2 had boarded their customary 8:30 am native practice from Shahad. The duo, residents of Ulhasnagar and also colleagues, had been en route to their put of labor at Airoli in Navi Mumbai, a routine they had adopted for years.

“As always, we took the identical practice and Ketan stood shut to the footboard. It turn out to be as soon as very heat, and Ketan turn out to be as soon as standing out of doors the compartment after Kalyan, where the practice got crowded at Diva. After we handed Diva, the practice turn out to be as soon as packed to the brim,” he said while speaking to newshounds at Thane Civil Sanatorium.

Describing the actual second of the tragedy, he said, “On the curvature shut to Mumbra, a obtain standard by someone hanging on a footboard of the practice coming from the opposite design brushed against passengers on our practice. Individuals started falling one after one more. Ketan turn out to be as soon as one in every of them.”

The eyewitness said that passengers within the compartment pulled the emergency chain now not lower than three instances, however the practice did now not dwell unless it reached Thane blueprint, on the realm of 12 km a long way off from the accident field.

“If the practice had stopped when we pulled the chain, some lives may need been saved,” he lamented.

Shirsat said he did now not pay sign to his friend’s advice to face shut to the footboard of the overcrowded practice, a resolution that presumably saved his life.

“The practice turn out to be as soon as crowded as customary, however I managed to sneak at some level of the coach, whereas Ketan turn out to be as soon as standing on the door,” he said.

Many passengers alight at Kalyan blueprint so the practice will get rather vacant. Passengers who're at some level of the coach try to return shut to the door to fetch unusual air, a regular and dangerous practice due to overcrowding, Shirsat said.

The practice halted at Diva blueprint where it got overcrowded.

“Ketan, who turn out to be as soon as on the footboard of the practice, known as me twice to face shut to the door with him, however I remained interior,” said Shirsat.

The tragic incident took put at 9:10 am between Diva and Mumbra stations, a stretch infamous for its exciting curves and overcrowding. In step with a Central Railway observation, 13 individuals fell off the trains of which four died and the others had been injured.