Thu Jan 23 10:12:37 UTC 2025: ## False Fire Alarm Causes Deadly Train Collision in Maharashtra
**Jalgaon, Maharashtra, January 23, 2025** – At least 13 passengers were killed and 15 injured Wednesday evening in a tragic train accident near Pachora, Jalgaon district, Maharashtra. The incident occurred after a false alarm of a fire on board the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express prompted panicked passengers to jump onto the tracks, where they were struck by the oncoming Karnataka Express.
According to authorities, a rumour of a fire, possibly started by a tea-seller, spread rapidly through the Pushpak Express. Following an alarm chain-pulling incident which caused the train to stop, numerous passengers leaped from the train, resulting in the devastating collision. The curve of the railway line, approximately two degrees, significantly hampered the visibility of the approaching Karnataka Express, despite the Pushpak Express driver activating warning lights and applying brakes.
The victims included nine men and four women, four of whom have been identified as Nepalese nationals. Authorities are working to identify the remaining bodies. The injured are receiving treatment at local hospitals, with three listed in critical condition.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, speaking from Davos, Switzerland, announced a state government ex-gratia payment of ₹5 lakh to the families of each deceased. The Railway Board also announced an ex-gratia payment of ₹1.5 lakh to the families of the deceased, along with compensation for those seriously and slightly injured.
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi expressed his condolences and called for a thorough investigation into how the fire rumour spread. Police are investigating the incident to determine the exact sequence of events and assign responsibility. The process of identifying the deceased and releasing their bodies to families is underway.
First Piper 