Himal Press 
(Right) Radha Bhandari, the daugheter-in law of one of the deceased, Kalpana Bhandari (left), talking to an Indian television.
KATHMANDU: Thirteen people, including four Nepalis, died when a train struck passengers near Jalgaon in Maharashtra, India, on Wednesday evening. Ten people were injured, with four in critical condition, according to Indian media reports.
The four Nepali victims have been identified as Imtiyaz Ali (11), Lachhi Ram Pasi (40), Javakala Bhate (60) and Kamala Bhandari (43), according to the Hindustan Times. Their locations in Nepal has not been confirmed yet.
How did the accident happen?
Passengers of the Pushpak Express train, traveling from Lucknow to Mumbai, pulled the emergency train and stopped it after rumors spread that the train had caught fire. As passengers hurriedly disembarked, a Karnataka Express train was simultaneously approaching on a nearby track. The passengers were struck by the oncoming train, resulting in 13 fatalities, according to the Indian media outlet Aaj Tak.
The accident occurred at around 4:42 pm near the Pachora station in Jalgaon.
“My mother-in-law got off the train when rumors of fire spread. There was no fire, no smoke. When I looked down, I saw her body,” Radha Bhandari, daughter-in-law of victim Kamala Bhandari, said.
Railway spokesperson Swapnil Nile confirmed that passengers who jumped from the train were struck by another express train on an adjacent track. A senior railway official told PTI that smoke was visible in one coach due to brake jamming, which caused passengers to panic.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced a relief of 500,000 Indian rupees for the families of those killed. Likewise, the railway has announced a compensation of 150,000 Indian rupees for deceased families, 50,000 for seriously injured, and 5,000 for those sustaining minor injuries.
(With inputs from PTI)
