Mirzapur tragedy: Four of family among six killed by train while crossing railway tracks

Savita Devi (32), sisters Sadhna (12) and Shivkumari (16) and Anju Devi (20) were relatives; they lived in adjoining houses in Mirzapur’s Kamariya village. The fifth victim, Kalawati Devi (50), was a resident of neighbouring Sonbhadra district. The sixth victim is yet to be identified.

According to the Railway Police, the victims had travelled to Chunar to take a holy dip in the Ganga river for Kartik Purnima. Chunar railway station is located nearly 40 km from the Mirzapur district headquarters. Superintendent of Police (Railways) Prashant Verma said an investigation is on to ascertain how the incident took place.

The accident caused panic among passengers, and railway and local police personnel immediately rushed to the spot to begin rescue and relief operations. Senior officials also reached the site to supervise the situation and ensure that the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.

UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of the deceased. Taking cognizance of the matter, he directed senior officials to immediately reach the site and ensure that relief and rescue operations are carried out without delay. He also instructed the SDRF and NDRF teams to arrive at the location promptly and intensify relief efforts on a war footing.

In a statement, the North East Central Railway said, “As per details, Train No. 13309 (Chopan-Prayagraj Passenger) arrived at platform number 4 of Chunar Station at 9.15 am. Some passengers, in haste, got down on the track side instead of the platform side, even though a foot overbridge is available at the station. At the same time, Train No. 12311 (Netaji Express) was passing through the main line (line no. 3), and a few passengers came under its impact. In this unfortunate incident, a total of six passengers lost their lives.”

Expressing condolences to the families of the deceased, the railway administration appealed to passengers “to always get down on the platform side and never attempt to cross the railway tracks under any circumstances, as it is extremely risky and unsafe. Passenger cooperation is essential for safe travel”.