A day after a local train accident near Mumbra claimed four lives and injured nine others, the condition of two commuters remains critical while three others have undergone surgery, doctors confirmed on Tuesday.
The accident occurred on Monday morning at 9 am near Mumbra railway station when two overcrowded local trains passed each other in opposite directions. Commuters hanging on the footboards reportedly lost balance and fell after their bags brushed against one another due to the narrow gap between the trains. One train was travelling towards Kasara and the other towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Mumbai.
Dr Rakesh Barot, dean of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Hospital in Kalwa, said, “Two patients are undergoing treatment at Jupiter Hospital. Their condition is critical.” He added that seven patients are admitted to the civic hospital’s ICU, where three have already undergone orthopaedic surgery and two others will be operated on in due course.
One of the injured has been shifted to JJ Hospital in Mumbai due to the need for a full-time neurological setup, officials said in a statement.
According to eyewitnesses and railway sources, there was no space left to even stand inside the coaches, forcing passengers to hang by the doors. When the train approached Mumbra station, another train from the opposite direction was crossing. The sway caused by the curve near the station led to the two trains brushing dangerously close, resulting in 13 passengers falling onto the tracks.
Meanwhile, the accident has triggered fresh outrage over the persistent issue of overcrowding on Mumbai’s suburban railway network. In response, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) held a protest march on Tuesday morning from Gaondevi Maidan to Thane railway station.
MNS leader Avinash Jadhav said, “People buy tickets to travel safely, but the railway fails to provide even basic facilities. With accidents reported daily, how are commuters supposed to feel safe? Today, people leave home in the morning, not knowing if they’ll return. If things don’t change, people may stop buying return tickets altogether.”
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The recurring problem of such dangerous turns, combined with peak hour crowding, has again raised serious questions about commuter safety. According to Central Railway, while the preliminary reports have suggested that the accident is due to a collision between hanging passengers of the two trains, the railway authorities are investigating the cause in detail.