By Dharmesh Prajapati

Madhya Pradesh train accident: In a tragic incident on Sunday evening, panicked passengers jumped from the Udaipur Intercity Express near Hetampur station in Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district following false rumours of a fire. Following this, they were struck by another train on an adjacent track, resulting in the deaths of four individuals, including three women and a child

Railway and police officials immediately rushed to the spot and launched rescue and relief operations.

KK Singh, Station In-charge of Sarai Chhola, who led the initial response, said rescue teams acted swiftly after receiving information about the incident.

What happened? 

The train had halted in the Hetampur-Dholpur section after a passenger pulled the alarm chain in a general coach.

The tragedy occurred at around 4:15 pm when a rumour that the Khajuraho-Udaipur Intercity Express had caught fire spread among passengers.

In panic, several passengers jumped from the train and stepped onto the adjacent railway track.

At that moment, the Firozpur-Seoni Patalkot Express (Train No. 20424) approached from the opposite direction, resulting in the fatal accident.

The deceased have been identified as Afreen (35), her four-year-old son Asad, Shakuntala (60) and Veerma Devi (58).

IANS reported that, according to officials, the Intercity Express came to a halt after the alarm chain was pulled. Some passengers got down and moved onto the parallel track, where they were hit by the oncoming Patalkot Express.

Inquiry into the incident

Railway authorities initiated a detailed inquiry into the sequence of events, including how the fire rumour originated and the circumstances that led passengers to move onto the adjacent track.

Senior officials from the Jhansi division also reached the site to oversee the investigation and provide assistance to the affected families.