A tragic incident unfolded on Sunday evening near Morena in Madhya Pradesh when a rumour of a fire on the Udaipur Express led to panic, resulting in four deaths. Among the victims were a 35-year-old woman and her 4-year-old son from Agra, who were returning from a family visit.
Details of the Incident
The Udaipur Express (19665) came to an unscheduled halt around 4.15 pm near Hetampur railway station after someone pulled the alarm chain in a general coach. Soon after, rumours spread that a fire had broken out, causing passengers to jump off the train in panic.
Nadeem, a daily-wage labourer and husband of victim Ruksana alias Afreen, recounted the chaos. He said he instructed his elder son Rizwan to stay on the upper berth while he helped his wife and younger son Asad get down. He left them in an open space away from the crowd and track, but when he returned with Rizwan, he found both dead.
Victims Identified
The deceased include Ruksana alias Afreen (35) and her son Asad (4) from Agra's Sultanganj Ki Pulia area. The other victims were Sakuntala (60) from Agra's Runkata area and Birma Devi (60) from Bikaner district, Rajasthan. All were travelling on the Udaipur Express.
According to railway officials, some passengers moved towards the adjacent track, where the speeding Patalkot Express (20424) struck them. The Udaipur Express resumed its journey at 5.13 pm, and the Patalkot Express at 5.27 pm.
Aftermath
Efforts to contact the families of Sakuntala and Birma Devi were unsuccessful as their phones were switched off. The Jhansi division of the North Central Railway issued a statement confirming the sequence of events.
The tragedy has left Nadeem devastated, struggling to come to terms with the loss of his wife and younger son. His elder son Rizwan, only 9 years old, now faces a life haunted by the memories of that day.
