The incident occurred near Gotlam, 8-km from the Vizianagaram station, where the Allapuzha-Dhanbad Express has no halt but passengers returning home for Diwali pulled the chain and jumped on the track.
The Raigad-Vijayawada Express sped past within a few seconds running over the passengers who had no time to react.
East Coast Railways PRO Jayprakash Mishra said that those killed had got down illegally at a place where the train was not supposed to stop.
"They pulled the emergency chain and got down. In their hurry to cross over, they dint realise that a train was coming from the opposite direction,'' Jayprakash Mishra said.
However, the Government Railway Police at Vizianagaram said that the passengers who were run over were probably trying to get on the Dhanbad Express after their friends or relatives pulled the chain to stop the train for them.
"We believe that these passengers, who were run over, were actually trying to get on the Dhanbad Express rather than the other way round. In their hurry to get into the train they dint notice the Raigad Express that was speeding down the parallel track,'' an official said.
Comments
Add new comment