Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, SK Pathak said that the migrants had apparently gathered along the track thinking there would be no train running due to COVID-19 lockdown(Express photo)
Hours after 16 migrant labourers were mowed down by a goods train early Thursday near Aurangabad, Railways has been asked to observe “abundant caution” about migrants walking along tracks with “false sense of security” thinking tracks were safe since train services were suspended due to lockdown.
Chief Commissioner of Railway Safety, SK Pathak, in a letter to Railways, has said that the migrants had apparently gathered along the track thinking there would be no train running due to COVID-19 lockdown, oblivious to the fact that goods trains and parcel trains were in operation.
Railways have been asked to direct all zonal railways to issue directions so that railwaymen on duty can prevent such mishaps in future.
“Now that such an incident of migrant or other persons walking along the track leading to consequent deaths have come to notice, all out efforts must be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents in future,” Pathak wrote to Chairman Railway Board VK Yadav Thursday.
Fourteen people died on the spot whereas two others succumbed to serious injuries after a goods train ran over them around 6.18 am Thursday. They were apparently walking back to their village in Madhya Pradesh from Maharashtra and had taken rest on the track before drifting off to sleep there.
“It is essential that all Railway personnel connected with train operation, maintenance and patrolling activities should be cautioned to immediately communicate any such occurrence of persons walking along the track, if noticed by them, to the nearest station so that necessary action like Caution Order to all passing trains…may be taken,” the letter says.
Pathak, in his letter, has reiterated the rules and procedure related to safety and the duties prescribed for all railway officials to prevent accidents in the course of work.
Railways has so far not announced any ex-gratia to the kin of the victims. A statement from Railways described as the migrants having “infringed” on the track. As per railway rules, anything coming in the way of a train is trespassing.
“The incident occurred even as the Loco Pilot of the goods train honked the horn as soon as he noticed the group of people the rail tracks and also made all possible efforts to stop the train,” the statement said.
As per Railways, the incident occurred at 5.22 AM and the group of migrants had 19 people in total. In Mumbai in 2017, the Elphinstone Bridge incident happened in which 23 were killed and 39 were injured. Railways had given ex-gratia of 5 lakh for death,1 lakh for serious injury and Rs 50,000 for simple injury.
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