train info

‘It happened in few seconds. What was our fault? We just wanted to go home’

‘We Followed Railway Tracks To Avoid Being Caught By Cops’

Mohammed.Akhef@timesgroup.com

Aurangabad

: Sajjansingh Dhurve from Pondi in Junawani, of mandal Khajeri, cannot believe that his colleagues, with whom he was heading home, are no more.

Dhurve was among the 20 guest workers who had set off on foot from Jalna towards Aurangabad. Exhausted after walking nearly 40km, they decided to take a break. They were sleeping on the railway track near Satana village when a goods train ran them over. Sixteen of his colleagues died. Dhurve, who was asleep at a distance from the others, said he was lucky.

“We were exhausted after walking so many kilometres. We became thirsty and tired so decided to drink water and take a break on the tracks. As soon as we sat, most felt sleepy and dozed off while relaxing on the tracks,” he said.

He woke up to the honk of the goods train and the cries of his colleagues and managed to jump aside in the nick of time. He was physically bruised but the incident has scarred his mind.

“It all happened in a matter of few seconds. Only four of us could survive. We just wanted to go home. What was our fault,” said a shaken Dhurve.

The other three who escaped with minor injuries have been identified as Indralal Kamalsingh Dhurve of Povdi village in Ghogri, Mandla district; Virendrsingh Chainsingh Gaur of Maman, in Pali, Umriya district; and Shivamsingh Hiralal Gaur of Shahargad, in Shahi tehsil of Sahdol district; all in Madhya Pradesh.

Indralal told TOI that he survived only because he had been sleeping along the tracks. They had decided to follow the railway tracks to reach Bhusawal, 160 km from Jalna, to avoid getting caught by the police deployed on roads and highways.

“We started walking from Jalna on Thursday night and were carrying rotis and water bottles. We wanted to go to Bhusawal Junction after we learned that some trains carrying stranded guest workers were being released from there. We were planning to go there from Aurangabad,” said Virendrasingh.

Full report on www.toi.in

DISASTER: Police personnel along with officials at the where a goods train ran more than 16 guest workers who were sleeping on the tracks on Friday

16 guest workers who were killed thought no train was plying due to lockdown: Report

New Delhi: The railway safety watchdog in its report has said that the 16 guest workers who were killed on the tracks in Aurangabad were under the impression that no train was plying due to the lockdown. It has asked the railways to take abundant precaution to avoid any such incident in the future.

Soon after, the railways issued a caution for public which stated: “Be careful: Passenger trains service suspended, but goods trains are moving.” The ill-fated workers were run over by a goods train.

The railways has ordered a probe under Ram Kripal, commissioner of railway safety, South Central Circle for independent inquiry into the accident.

The role of patrolmen who are tasked with keeping trespassers away from tracks and also alert the nearest station about any incident is likely to be investigated. TNN