BOMBAY(PTI): Forty women passengers were crushed to death by a train and 70 others injured when they leapt out of a running suburban local after noticing smoke in a compartment.
Railway and police sources said as the smoke emanated from the rear portion of the “ladies only” Virarbound train, homebound passengers jumped out and were run over by another fast train coming from the opposite direction. The mutilated bodies were strewn all over the tracks between Kandivli and Borivli.
The injured have been rushed to Bhagwati and Cooper hospitals in northwest Bombay,
Reports said passengers ran helter skelter and jumped out after a woman screamed, ‘fire, fire.’
Train services were disrupted after the accident affecting home bound commuters but were re stored later.
Eye witnesses at Borivli station said limbs and handbags, Tiffin boxes, Chappal sand wrist watches of the commuters were found scat tered at the accident spot.
The tracks were smeared with blood and the cries of the injured rented the air, they said.
Commuters waiting al the nearby station crowded at the site. The accident occurred between Kandiyli and Borivii,
In New Delhi, a railway ministry spokesman put the toll at 17 and added that 11 were injured in the accident.
Article extracted from this publication >> October 22, 1993
