“They were crossing the tracks… Some of them reached the other side, but a few of them slowed down and collided with a passing train…,” Vishal Kumar (16 years old) said, recalling the horrific accident that occurred at Chunar railway station on Wednesday morning.
His mother Savita Devi (32), his cousins Sadhna (12) and Shivkumari (16), and another relative, Anju Devi (21), were among six women killed when they were hit by a train while trying to cross the tracks.
The four victims live in neighboring houses in the village of Qamariyya. They were part of a group of 12 women who traveled to Chunar – about 40 kilometers away – by train to swim in the Ganges on the occasion of Kartik Purnima.
The accident occurred around 9.30 am when the Chopan-Prayagraj passenger train reached Platform No. 4. According to officials, the victims got off the train on the opposite side of the main platform, where there is no designated exit. While they were trying to cross the tracks to reach the main platform, another train passed through the station and hit them, killing them instantly.
Sadhna was a student of Class 8, while Shivkumari was studying in Class 12. Anju was pursuing her graduation, and Savita was a homemaker.
Recalling the day’s events, Vishal said: “They had been planning this all last week. This wasn’t their first time – they had gone many times before.”
About two hours after the group left, the family received news of the horrific accident and rushed to the scene. “The survivors told us that they were crossing the tracks… Four of our family died,” Vishal said.
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Post-mortem examinations are being conducted, after which the bodies will be handed over to their families, officials said.
The family members also claimed that the tragedy occurred due to the absence of proper security arrangements at the railway station.
Vijay Shankar, father of Sadhna and Shivkumari, demanded action against the police personnel who, he claimed, failed in their duty and allowed passengers to get off the train on the wrong side and walk along the tracks.
“If there had been proper police deployment, no passenger would have dared to cross the railway tracks, which is illegal,” said Vijay, who works as a taxi driver.
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However, the Railway Police denied the allegations, saying that a police team had been deployed to provide security.
Anju’s father, Shyama Prasad (56), said the tragedy had left their entire family devastated. “It shattered the dreams and plans of the three families,” he said, struggling to hold back his tears.
“I was preparing to marry my daughter soon. This loss has completely devastated us.”
The fifth victim, Kalawati Devi (50), is a resident of the neighboring Sonbhadra district. Her husband, Janardhan Yadav, said: “I still cannot understand how this happened. Everything changed in moments.”
The identity of the sixth woman has not yet been determined.
(tags for translation)Mirzapur train accident
