MUMBAI, India, Jan 23: At least 13 people were killed and five others injured in western India after fleeing a fire rumor on board their train, only to be struck by another train. Railway officials reported that passengers aboard the Mumbai-bound Pushpak Express, traveling in Maharashtra state, panicked after someone pulled the emergency cord, causing the train to stop. Believing there was a fire, the passengers got off the train, but tragically, they were hit by the oncoming Karnataka Express, which was traveling on an adjacent track.

While it was initially unclear if there had actually been a fire, railway officials suggested that sparks inside one of the Pushpak Express's coaches might have been caused by either a hot axle or brake binding. This sparked panic among the passengers, prompting some to pull the emergency chain and disembark onto the tracks. The timing coincided with the passing of the Karnataka Express on the neighboring track.

The incident occurred near Pachora in Jalgaon district, about 400 kilometers from Mumbai. Maharashtra’s Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, expressed his deep sorrow over the loss of life and confirmed that eight ambulances were sent to the scene while hospitals were put on standby.

Despite India's efforts to modernize its railway system with a $30 billion initiative, accidents remain frequent. India’s rail network, the largest in the world under one management, continues to face safety challenges, with hundreds of accidents occurring each year. This incident comes on the heels of another major rail disaster in 2023 in Odisha, which claimed nearly 300 lives.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been actively pushing for the modernization of the country’s colonial-era railway infrastructure, aiming to enhance connectivity and support economic growth in the world's most populous nation, now with 1.42 billion people.