An investigation by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) into the recent Jalgaon train tragedy appears unlikely, as experts believe passenger negligence was a major factor in the incident. The passengers who lost their lives in the tragic incident ignored basic safety measures and because of this, there is no grounds for an independent CRS inquiry.
On Wednesday, 12 passengers from the Pushpak Express were struck and killed by the Karnataka Express on an adjoining track in North Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district. Despite the fact they had 20 minutes to shift to a safer place, they stayed near the tracks. The Railway Board has formed a team of five senior officials to investigate the incident, a CSR probe is considered not compulsory in this case. However, experts pointed out that deaths caused due to passenger negligence may not qualify as such under The Railway (Notices of the Inquiries into Accidents) Rules, 1998.
Decision is on the CSR Authority
A retired official explained to PTI that serious railway accidents are described as incidents in which there are major passenger casualties, injuries, and damages surpassing more than Rs 2 crore. He also highlighted that in cases of negligence, like standing on tracks, passengers traveling on train roofs, detraining carelessly, or standing on the track- the decision relies on the CSR to decide whether to investigate or not.
The Pushpak Express stopped near Maheji and Padhade stations after the emergency chain was pulled at 4:45 PM, as confirmed by the safety officials from the Bhusawal division. However, the victims remained near the tracks until Karnataka Express arrived at 5:05 PM, leading to the fatalities.
The General Secretary of the All-India Railwaymen’s Federation, Shiva Gopal Mishra told PTI, the incident is deeply disturbing but underlined that passenger carelessness has played a major role in this mishap. ‘’The passengers didn’t pay attention to the danger of approaching the train. While the incident is disastrous, safety measures were overlooked, ‘’ he stated.
This tragedy highlights the importance of awareness and adherence to safety norms by passengers to prevent such accidents in the future.