Mumbai train mishap: Nahur accident a mystery

The Central Railway seems jinxed. A day after two of its relay cabins — at Kurla and Vidyavihar — got destroyed in fire resulting in signals going on the blink and affecting services, three men fell from the overcrowded train, and 31 others were injured,  during morning peak hours.

Two of the men died on the spot, while another died in the hospital. 

But the exact cause of the accident between Mulund and Nahur stations and the number of trains involved are still a mystery with various versions being played by disputing government railway police (GRP) and railway officials.

The railway administration attempted to skirt responsibility by calling it a “freak accident that involved a single train”.

“As no rail structure, including gantries, overhead equipment, was found infringing the movement of trains on that stretch, it appears that this unfortunate and freak incident is a result of extreme overcrowding on the train. It is also suspected that a part of some object carried by passenger protruded out of the train and may have hit the maintenance platform attached to signal ladder, thereby causing the platform to dent,” the CR said.

Contradicting the CR version, the Kurla GRP blamed the railways for the accident and even registered a case of causing death due to negligence.

“At 9am, between Mulund and Nahur stations, the stand used for standing on the ladders fixed to the signal moved (abruptly) towards the local train and hit those standing on the footboard causing injuries and deaths,” said GRP in its official statement.

Local GRP officials, though, suspect that there could be more than one train involved in the accident.