The Government Railway Police (GRP) on Monday booked two Central Railway engineers in connection with the Mumbra train accident that occurred on June 9. Four passengers died Nine others were injured after falling from two overcrowded local trains in Thane.
The GRP police, which investigated the incident, blamed the accident on the negligence of the officials – a senior section engineer and a section engineer.
The accident occurred when two overcrowded local trains passed each other on a sharp curve between Diffa and Mumbra stations, resulting in passengers falling from the two trains.
The Central Railway also conducted an investigation which stated that the accident occurred due to the “protruding” backpack of a passenger who was standing on the foot of one of the trains colliding with passengers of another train moving in the opposite direction.
This contact led to a domino effect, causing several people to lose their balance and fall from the moving trains, according to the CR investigation, which did not blame any official for the accident.
“We investigated the case, the ad hoc committee investigated the case, and we stand by our final report,” CR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Neela said.
The commercial registry investigation ruled out the presence of technical errors, sabotage, or quarrels between passengers. Its reports said that detailed scrutiny of CCTV footage, witness statements and inspections of trains confirmed that the carriages themselves were mechanically sound and that the trains were operating within the prescribed speed limits, about 72 kilometers per hour.
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Moreover, adequate distance has been created between the trains, eliminating any possibility of collision between trains.
The CR report also highlighted the role of overcrowding, especially on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus train, as an important factor that aggravated the tragedy.
The GRP investigation focused on potential gaps in basic engineering and maintenance.
GRP investigated the officials responsible for setting the 105 km/h speed limit on the steep Mumbra curve, determining the lateral distance between the two express lanes, and the history of maintenance and repair work in the vicinity of the accident.
(Marks for translation) Deaths in Mumbra train accident
