LUCKNOW: For nine-year-old Rizwan, a train journey home turned into a tragedy that will haunt him forever. In moments, he lost his mother and four-year-old brother after panic triggered by a rumour forced passengers off a halted train near Morena in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday evening.
Four Killed in Train Incident
Among the four people killed after being struck by the speeding Patalkot Express (20424), three were from Agra and one from Rajasthan's Bikaner district. All victims had been travelling on the Udaipur Express (19665) when rumours of a fire spread through a general coach, prompting frightened passengers to jump off the train.
Victims Identified
The dead included Ruksana alias Afreen (35) and her younger son Asad (4), residents of the Sultanganj Ki Pulia area of Agra. They were returning from Harpalpur in Madhya Pradesh's Chhatarpur district, where Ruksana had visited her family. They travelled with her husband Nadeem and elder son Rizwan.
Other victims were Sakuntala (60), from Agra's Runkata area, and Birma Devi (60) from Gasora village in Bikaner district. Efforts to contact their families were unsuccessful as their phones remained switched off.
Chaos Unfolds After Alarm Chain Pulled
According to railway officials, the Udaipur Express made an unscheduled halt around 4.15 pm near Hetampur railway station after someone pulled the alarm chain in a general coach. Soon after the train stopped, rumours began circulating among passengers that a fire had broken out.
Speaking to TOI, a devastated Nadeem recalled the chaos. "Someone had pulled the alarm chain in the first general coach near the locomotive. As soon as the train stopped, rumours of a fire spread. I did not see any smoke or flames, but passengers panicked and it became almost like a stampede," he said.
Father's Heartbreaking Account
Nadeem said his elder son Rizwan was seated on the upper berth when panic began. "I told him to stay where he was while I helped my wife and younger son get down. I left them in an open space beside the train, away from the crowd and the track. When I returned with Rizwan, I found my wife and son lying dead," he said, struggling to contain his grief.
A daily-wage labourer from Agra, Nadeem now faces the unimaginable task of raising Rizwan alone after losing his wife and younger child.
Official Statement and Response
In a statement, the Jhansi division of the North Central Railway said some passengers got off the halted train and moved towards the adjacent track. Around the same time, the Patalkot Express was passing through the section. Several passengers were struck while attempting to cross or move near the track.
The bodies were sent to a local government hospital for post-mortem examination. Following the incident, the Udaipur Express departed at 5.13 pm, while the Patalkot Express resumed its journey at 5.27 pm.
Though two ambulances arrived by 5.30 pm, body parts of the deceased were removed by 7 pm, after which 16 other halted trains were operationalized. The affected trains included 12049, 11077, 12137, 12279, 12190, 12191, 12438, 12716, 16032, 20658, 22222, 12406, 12780, 12616, 18478 and 12752.
