131 passengers killed after falling off running trains last year in Nagpur
   Date :23-Oct-2020

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By Dheeraj Fartode :
 
Other 79 people lost lives while crossing railway tracks and 44 persons committed suicides 
 
Death dance continues unabated on railway tracks. Whopping 131 passengers died after falling off running trains in Nagpur Railway Police area last year. Travelling dangerously by standing on footsteps of bogies is the main reason behind the deaths.
 
The information came to fore in an RTI query filed by RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar. According to information, Nagpur recorded highest 32 deaths this year (116 last year), followed by 25 deaths in Wardha (102 last year), 22 in Badnera (42 last year); 14 in Akola (52 last year); 12 in Itwari (41 last year) and 10 in Gondia (80 last year). The statistics showed that as against 80 deaths, the Gondia Railway Police recorded highest fall in deaths with just 10 cases.
 
Of these 433 casualties in Nagpur Railway Police area, highest 283 persons were died of natural death including beggars and destitutes; 131 persons died after falling off running trains; 79 lost their lives while crossing railway tracks and 44 persons committed suicides. A police official said that overcrowded coaches is also another reason for death of passengers. The lure of taking short cuts instead of walking on foot overbridges is another major factor for people dying on railway tracks, he said and added that major causes for increase in number of casualties is travelling on footsteps, overcrowing in general coaches and trespassing. A railway official claimed that passenger don’t follow the proper procedure, while deboarding from train. They jump out from running train in opposite direction and fall down. Many such cases are reported in Nagpur.
 
Death on tracks less during lockdown Deaths on railway tracks or in railway station premises drastically reduced in first nine months of this year as the train services were suspended due in March due to the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and subsequent lockdown. As against 433 deaths last year, the Nagpur Railway Police district recorded just 115 deaths till September this year. The statistics further revealed that a total of 31 passengers died in railway area during lockdown.