Fire Rumour Spread By Tea-Seller Caused People To Jump Off Train At Jalgaon, Says Ajit Pawar

Mumbai: The Jalgaon train accident was the result of a ‘sheer rumour’ about fire spread by a tea-seller inside the Pushpak Express, claimed Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday. Following the rumour, the passengers were caught in panic and some of them jumped off.

Some these passengers of the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express, who got off the train after an alarm chain-pulling incident, were run over by the Karnataka Express heading from Bengaluru to Delhi on the adjacent tracks in the Jalgaon district on Wednesday evening, reported the New Indian Express.

“A tea-seller from the pantry shouted about a fire having broken out in a coach,” Pawar said.

According to the minister, two passengers from Shravasti in Uttar Pradesh heard the rumour first and conveyed the false alarm to others. This led to confusion and panic in their general coach and the adjoining one, the minister claimed. As the train was speeding, a passenger pulled the alarm chain so that they could jump off.

Reports claimed that out of the 13 persons who died, 10 were identified. The two passengers, who reportedly spread the rumour, also sustained injuries.

Hear it from the eye-witness

One of the injured admitted to the hospital, Hakim Ansari told ANI, “People shouted that there is a fire. After that, everyone started running away. Pushak Express stopped because the chain was pulled. The injuries happened after the Karnataka Express came on the other track…”

https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1882281476735316081?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw