13 People Died Travelling In Mumbai Local Trains On Sunday; 1,590 Deaths In Total In The Last Six Months
Courtesy: Hindustan Times�| Image Credit: Business Standard

13 People Died Travelling In Mumbai Local Trains On Sunday; 1,590 Deaths In Total In The Last Six Months

  • Whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • koo
  • Whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • koo
  • Whatsapp
  • Telegram
  • Linkedin
  • Print
  • koo

On Sunday, July 30, 13 people died while travelling in Mumbai local trains. This is the highest number of track deaths on a single day this year, reported Hindustan Times.

Motorman Mahendra Prasad called up the railway police control room on Sunday and informed that 15-year-old Mohammed Nisar and 25-year-old Mohammed Ansari were found injured in the tracks between Lower Parel and Elphinstone stations after falling from a train. They were among the 10 people injured while travelling on Western and Central Railway line on Sunday.

In the last 6 months, around 1,590 people have accidentally died while commuting on Mumbai trains – 676 were killed after falling off trains. On an average, seven people die every day on railway tracks in Mumbai.

Kalyan and Borivli railway stations recorded the maximum number of deaths due to falling off trains especially during peak hours.

Mumbai locals are one of the most crowded trains in the country. A high number of commuter deaths can be attributed to an increased commuter count.

“We had taken several initiatives to stop people from crossing tracks. The railways had put up fences at many places between the tracks to prevent track crossing,” said Niket Kaushik, police commissioner (GRP), reported Hindustan Times.

Till June 30 this year, 147 people died while crossing tracks, 676 died falling from trains, 20 died of electric shock, 293 died due to injury and 383 had accidental deaths.

Last year, 3,202 people died in train fatalities in Mumbai, including 1,798 people who died while crossing tracks, while falls from trains caused the maximum number of injuries. The central line, whose network is twice that of the western line, recorded the highest number of deaths.

An average of eight people were killed daily on railway tracks in 2016.

The year before that, 2015, saw the death of 3,159 in Mumbai locals, of which 89% were males.

The Mumbai suburban railway network carries more than 7.5 million passengers daily. In 2015, the Bombay High Court told the Railway authorities that the situation has gone out of control and immediate cognisance of the matter needs to be taken. “The situation of overcrowding on the local trains has gone out of control. Surprisingly, none of the concerned authorities are taking the issue seriously. These deaths will continue unless the railways and the State together take immediate steps. People are dying on the trains and the tracks every day and the authorities cannot continue to keep their eyes shut. If you act now and succeed in saving even just one such life, your actions will make a large difference,” the court had observed.

As Mumbai locals is a daily medium of transportation used by million of people, it is essential that the state Railway authorities and the state governments take immediate measures to safeguard the commuters. Though accidents have declined from previous years, they still remain high. The Logical Indian community hopes that the authorities implement speedy reforms and spreads awareness among about the risks of travelling in overcrowded trains.

Contributors Suggest Correction
Editor : Pooja Chaudhuri

Must Reads