Mumbra train accident: Scratch on coach being probed by 5-member panel
Mumbai: A day after four people died and at least nine were injured when two overcrowded suburban trains passed each other near Mumbra, a scratch mark on one of the train's coaches is among the focus areas of a five-member committee formed by Central Railway (CR) on Tuesday to investigate the incident.
Officials said the committee has begun studying various possible reasons that could have led to people falling off the two trains. Of the 13 victims, two—Vicky Mukhyadal, 34, and Manish Shah, 44—were travelling on the CSMT-Karjat fast local towards Kalyan, while the remaining 11 were headed towards Thane on the Kasara-CSMT fast local.
As public and political criticism mounted following the mishap, CR on Tuesday appointed a five-member committee, comprising officers from its Mumbai division, to investigate the incident. CR's chief safety officer will monitor the overall investigation process.
'This committee will thoroughly investigate the incident and identify the root causes. They will also provide suggestions and measures to avoid similar incidents in the future,' said a senior CR official, who requested anonymity.
Main theory
The primary theory being explored is that commuters were standing on the footboards of both crowded trains, and their backpacks brushed against each other as the trains passed each other in opposite directions, officials said.
There is a dark black scratch extending a few feet on the exterior of one of the coaches of the Kasara-CSMT fast local, said a CR official. 'It looks like a bag held by someone travelling on the CSMT-Karjat train left a scratch on the coach. One of the injured victims has stated that it seemed as if someone from the opposite train bumped into the coach of the CSMT-bound train and fell down. There are some fragments of an object stuck on the coach as well, which is being investigated,' the official said.
The official added that the scratch could also have been caused by a solid metal object brushing against the coach. 'The possibility of this object and/or bag hitting the passengers standing by the footboard is being looked into. It is possible that the bags of passengers on one train brushed against those standing precariously on the edge of the footboard on the other train. However, this is conjecture, and there are multiple factors to consider,' the official said.
The multiple factors being considered include the involvement of the notorious fatka gang that targets train passengers, a scuffle in one of the coaches, and a sudden jerk caused due to braking that may have led to passengers standing on the footboard losing their balance and falling off, the official added.
On Tuesday, CR officials were seen measuring the distance between the two adjacent tracks at the spot where the accident occurred. CR will also investigate whether the curvature of the tracks at Mumbra led to the incident. However, officials said that it's only a 2.5-degree curve and the commuters who fell were 50 metres away from it.
'The possibility of this curvature being blamed for this incident seems to be unfounded. There are 153 curvatures across the Mumbai division that are over four degrees. In the ghat sections (Kalyan-Karjat/Kasara), there are rail tracks that have curves of seven degrees,' said another railway official.
One more injured person
Meanwhile, authorities at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa and the Government Railway Police, Thane, said that one more injured person—Jitendra Mhatre, 32—was added to the list on Monday evening, bringing the total number of injured to 10. Mhatre suffered a back injury after falling off the CSMT-bound local. However, CR is yet to update its official figures.
Machindra Gotrane, 39, who suffered a head and leg injury, was moved to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday after his condition worsened due to neurological complications. His distraught wife, Kunda Gotrane, collapsed twice at the hospital. 'Everything feels like a blur. I just want to see him standing again,' she said, wiping away tears.
Two of the most critically injured—Shiva Gawli and Anil More—were moved to Jupiter Hospital in Thane for intensive care. Gawli's condition has slightly improved, while More remains critical, according to tehsildar Umesh Patil. Both are under close observation by a team of doctors.
According to the Kalwa hospital officials, three male injured patients underwent orthopaedic surgeries on Tuesday, following medical assessments indicating bone fractures and internal injuries. The condition of the remaining four patients is reported to be stable, but several require continued medical support and monitoring. CR officials said the victims should approach the Railway Claims Tribunal for compensation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Thane tragedy: ‘CCTV cameras' view blocked by trains, those injured too can't tell how they fell'
MUMBAI: Central Railway on Tuesday set up a five-member committee of senior officials to investigate the sequence of events leading to the Mumbra tragedy. The probe panel includes the senior divisional security commissioner, senior divisional mechanical engineer, senior divisional electrical engineer, senior divisional engineer, and the senior divisional operations manager. CR's chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said, "There is no fixed deadline, but the committee has been asked to submit its findings at the earliest." A senior RPF official said, "We have reviewed CCTV footage from the platform, but it doesn't offer much insight as the view was blocked by the trains themselves." Adding to the mystery, officials said even the injured commuters have been unable to provide clear accounts of how they fell. "There is talk of passengers being flung and colliding with the opposite train, but nothing is confirmed yet," an official said. The incident occurred at the Diva end near Mumbra railway station. Preliminary observations suggest the incident occurred when two fast locals-a Kasara-CSMT train and a CSMT-Karjat one-crossed each other ahead of the curve. It is suspected that shoulder bags or luggage brushing against passengers could have destabilised those on the edge. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Deze plug-in SUV is écht compleet. Ontdek het zelf. Meer informatie Undo CR has not imposed any additional speed restrictions on the stretch following the accident. Of the 13 commuters involved in the mishap, 11 were aboard the Kasara-CSMT fast local, while two were on the CSMT-Karjat train. Of the deceased, Vicky Mukhyadal and Mayur Shah were in the CSMT-Karjat train, while Ketan Saroj and Rahul Gupta were travelling on the Kasara-CSMT local. An official said scratch marks were found on the exterior of the Kasara-CSMT train's last coach. "It appears that a passenger's bag may have grazed the coach of the opposite train, which may have triggered the incident," the official said. Meanwhile, the local staff from Mumbra railway station who attended to the mishap victims are likely to be called in for questioning. The railway police, guided by the assistant commissioner of police, railways, CSMT, on Tuesday inspected the spot where the victims were found following the mishap to look for clues. -Inputs by Manoj Badgeri
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Thane accident: Trains move at slower speed on Mumbra stretch after mishap claim commuters, CR cites different reason
THANE: Local and mail express trains crossing the Diva end stretch of Mumbra platforms 3 and 4 were moving at a comparatively slower speed than before since Tuesday morning, commuters pointed out. Interestingly, this is a day after railway activists and regular commuters blamed the trains on the fast tracks cruising at high speeds at the sharp curvature at the northern end of Mumbra platforms 3 and 4 for possibly being the cause of the freak Monday mishap where four passengers died and ten others suffered injuries. An initial probe by the railway police had revealed the bags dangling out of the coaches of passengers travelling on the footboard may have brushed against each other, causing the mishap. Mumbra commuter activist Rafique Sheikh said trains were moving at a slower speed at the spot compared to the previous day. The Central Railways, however, claimed a speed restriction was imposed, but it was not due to the Monday incident. 'There was some engineering work going on at a spot 1.5 km away from the spot,' said CR Chief PRO Swapnil Nila. Meanwhile, activists said they alerted the administration about three spots between Diva and Kalwa as potential danger spots. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Diva-based activist Ananda Patil said he wrote to the railways three months back, highlighting how trains leaned dangerously to one side while crossing the stretches. 'There are three spots between Diva and Kalwa which pose threats, but to date, there is no corrective action except for a statement by the administration declaring the spot to be as per the standards,' said Patil. Nila also dismissed the possibility and defended that the curvature was as per the norms. Meanwhile, the local staff from Mumbra station who attended to the mishap victims were likely to be called in for questioning. The railway police, guided by the Assistant Commissioner of Police, Railways, CSMT, also inspected the spot where the victims were found following the mishap to look for clues. 'We are likely to access the CCTV footage of the spot along with the train pilot and manager of the CSMT and Karjat locals,' informed a police official requesting anonymity.
Hindustan Times
a day ago
- Hindustan Times
Mumbra train accident: Scratch on coach being probed by 5-member panel
Mumbai: A day after four people died and at least nine were injured when two overcrowded suburban trains passed each other near Mumbra, a scratch mark on one of the train's coaches is among the focus areas of a five-member committee formed by Central Railway (CR) on Tuesday to investigate the incident. Officials said the committee has begun studying various possible reasons that could have led to people falling off the two trains. Of the 13 victims, two—Vicky Mukhyadal, 34, and Manish Shah, 44—were travelling on the CSMT-Karjat fast local towards Kalyan, while the remaining 11 were headed towards Thane on the Kasara-CSMT fast local. As public and political criticism mounted following the mishap, CR on Tuesday appointed a five-member committee, comprising officers from its Mumbai division, to investigate the incident. CR's chief safety officer will monitor the overall investigation process. 'This committee will thoroughly investigate the incident and identify the root causes. They will also provide suggestions and measures to avoid similar incidents in the future,' said a senior CR official, who requested anonymity. Main theory The primary theory being explored is that commuters were standing on the footboards of both crowded trains, and their backpacks brushed against each other as the trains passed each other in opposite directions, officials said. There is a dark black scratch extending a few feet on the exterior of one of the coaches of the Kasara-CSMT fast local, said a CR official. 'It looks like a bag held by someone travelling on the CSMT-Karjat train left a scratch on the coach. One of the injured victims has stated that it seemed as if someone from the opposite train bumped into the coach of the CSMT-bound train and fell down. There are some fragments of an object stuck on the coach as well, which is being investigated,' the official said. The official added that the scratch could also have been caused by a solid metal object brushing against the coach. 'The possibility of this object and/or bag hitting the passengers standing by the footboard is being looked into. It is possible that the bags of passengers on one train brushed against those standing precariously on the edge of the footboard on the other train. However, this is conjecture, and there are multiple factors to consider,' the official said. The multiple factors being considered include the involvement of the notorious fatka gang that targets train passengers, a scuffle in one of the coaches, and a sudden jerk caused due to braking that may have led to passengers standing on the footboard losing their balance and falling off, the official added. On Tuesday, CR officials were seen measuring the distance between the two adjacent tracks at the spot where the accident occurred. CR will also investigate whether the curvature of the tracks at Mumbra led to the incident. However, officials said that it's only a 2.5-degree curve and the commuters who fell were 50 metres away from it. 'The possibility of this curvature being blamed for this incident seems to be unfounded. There are 153 curvatures across the Mumbai division that are over four degrees. In the ghat sections (Kalyan-Karjat/Kasara), there are rail tracks that have curves of seven degrees,' said another railway official. One more injured person Meanwhile, authorities at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa and the Government Railway Police, Thane, said that one more injured person—Jitendra Mhatre, 32—was added to the list on Monday evening, bringing the total number of injured to 10. Mhatre suffered a back injury after falling off the CSMT-bound local. However, CR is yet to update its official figures. Machindra Gotrane, 39, who suffered a head and leg injury, was moved to the JJ Hospital in Mumbai on Tuesday after his condition worsened due to neurological complications. His distraught wife, Kunda Gotrane, collapsed twice at the hospital. 'Everything feels like a blur. I just want to see him standing again,' she said, wiping away tears. Two of the most critically injured—Shiva Gawli and Anil More—were moved to Jupiter Hospital in Thane for intensive care. Gawli's condition has slightly improved, while More remains critical, according to tehsildar Umesh Patil. Both are under close observation by a team of doctors. According to the Kalwa hospital officials, three male injured patients underwent orthopaedic surgeries on Tuesday, following medical assessments indicating bone fractures and internal injuries. The condition of the remaining four patients is reported to be stable, but several require continued medical support and monitoring. CR officials said the victims should approach the Railway Claims Tribunal for compensation.
