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India: 12 killed by train after fire rumor triggers panic

January 23, 2025

Authorities reported "sparks inside one of the coaches" which the passengers mistook for fire, causing panic. India's antiquated railway system is subject to deadly accidents annually, despite investment to modernize it.

https://p.dw.com/p/4pUXj
BJP supporters blocked the rail lines in many places resulting the disruption of the suburban train service in Kolkata.
India has one of the largest and oldest railway systems in the world [FILE, Aug. 28, 2024]Image: Satyajit Shaw/DW

A rumor that a fire had started on a moving train in western India led to panic and the deaths of at least 12 people. Some passengers jumped off the train with the supposed fire and were hit by another train.

The incident happened in Maharashtra State, between Maheji and Pardhade stations, approximately 410 kilometers (255 miles) northeast of India's financial capital, Mumbai.

What do we know about crash?

According to the Press Trust of India news agency, passengers jumped off the Pushpak Express train bound for Mumbai after rumors of a fire. Some passengers pulled an emergency chain, causing the train to stop.

Those who jumped were hit by another express train passing on the adjacent track, railway spokesman Swapnil Nila said.

"Our preliminary information is that there were sparks inside one of the coaches of the Pushpak Express due to either a 'hot axle' or 'brake-binding' [jamming], and some passengers panicked," a senior railway official told PTI.

"They pulled the chain, and some of them jumped down on the tracks. At the same time, the Karnataka Express was passing on the adjoining track."

Efforts to modernize colonial-era railway

Indian Interior Minister Amit Shah expressed his "deepest condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this accident."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the victims' families will receive compensation from the authorities, adding that the state government will also cover the cost of treatment for those injured.

India has one of the largest railway systems in the world, but the aging system dates back to British colonial rule and is now subject to annual deadly accidents. A 2023 accident killed nearly 300 people.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government has invested billions of dollars into modernizing train infrastructure. However, analysts believethe antiquated system of the world's most populous country still has a long way to go.

A drone view shows diggers remove damaged coaches following trains collision in Balasore district in the eastern state of Odisha, India, June 4, 2023.
A 2023 train collision in the eastern state of Odisha killed nearly 300 peopleImage: REUTERS

rmt/lo (AFP, AP)