Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday said the Jalgaon train accident was the result of a “sheer rumour” about fire by a tea-seller inside the Pushpak Express, which led to panic and some passengers jumping off. The accident occurred when passengers aboard the 12533 Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express, fearing a fire, jumped off their coaches and were run over by the Karnataka Express, which was passing on an adjacent track.
An eyewitness, Babadeep Shobharam Paswan, recounted the chaos, saying, “A tea seller started the rumour by claiming the train had caught fire. He himself pulled the emergency chain, and as the train slowed down, passengers began jumping out in a desperate attempt to save their lives.” He further said, “Some people jumped directly onto the track where the Bangalore Express was passing, and tragically lost their lives as they were crushed.” However, the situation could have been even worse, as the eyewitness noted that dozens of other passengers who jumped in the opposite direction were saved because there was no track there.
"If they had jumped on the track side, the death toll would have been even higher," he added. The accident occurred between Maheji and Pardhade stations near Pachora town in North Maharashtra around 4:45 pm on Tuesday, when the Pushpak Express came to a halt after someone pulled the emergency chain. Central Railway officials confirmed the details of the incident. Dilip Kumar, Executive Director of Information and Publicity at the Railway Board, denied that any spark or fire inside the coach prompted the passengers to pull the alarm. “Based on the information we have received, no fire or spark was observed inside the coach,” Kumar stated in New Delhi.