‘Migrants thought trains not plying’: Railway safety watchdog after 16 killed

At least 16 migrant labourers were crushed to death in the early hours of Friday morning by a goods train in Maharashtra after they fell asleep on the tracks. An inquiry has been ordered by the railway safety commissioner.

Hours after the Aurangabad train incident, the Chief railway safety commissioner has written to the railway board chairman instructing him to ensure abundant caution to avoid any such incidents in the future.

Police officials investigating at the railway track where 16 migrant workers died and several injured in a train accident in Aurangabad on Friday. (ANI)

The railway safety watchdog, who is appointed under the civil aviation ministry, has written a letter, a copy of which has been reviewed by Hindustan Times, saying that the labourers who were crushed by the goods train were lying on the railway tracks as they were under the impression that no trains have been plying since the lockdown.

“Apparently, the affected persons had gathered along the track under the impression that the train services have been suspended due to Covid-19 lockdown. Furthermore, false sense of security may have come to their minds about there being no trains on run whereas freight, parcel specials have been running from before and now migrant specials have also started plying,” he wrote.

At least 16 migrant labourers were crushed to death in the early hours of Friday morning by a goods train in Maharashtra after they fell asleep on the tracks. An inquiry has been ordered by the railway safety commissioner.

“It is with a heavy heart that I solicit your kind attention to the unfortunate incident of around 14-16 persons run over by a goods train…as discussed with you, statutory inquiry by CRS has been ordered into this incident,” he wrote.

“Now that such an incident of migrants or other persons walking along the track leading to consequent deaths have come to notice, all our efforts must be made to prevent recurrence of such incidents in the future,” he added.

The safety commissioner said, as an abundant precaution, it is essential that all railway personnel connected with train operations, maintenance, and patrolling activities should be cautioned to immediately communicate any 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 safety commissioner has instructed that a ‘caution order’ will have to be given to ensure special precautions.

“In consequence of the line being under repair or for any other reason, special precautions are necessary, a Caution Order detailing the kilometres between which such precautions are necessary, the reasons for taking such precautions, and the speed at which a train shall travel, shall be handed to the Loco Pilot at the stopping station immediately short of the place where such precautions are necessary, or at such other stations and in such manner, as prescribed under special instructions,” the letter said.

The loco pilot driving the freight train that was involved in the incident of running over labourers in Aurangabad district, Maharashtra, had tried to warn them by honking upon spotting them and also tried to stop the train, the railway ministry said Friday.

“The Controller or the Centralised Traffic control Operator, on becoming aware of such defect or failure, shall inform the same to the railway servant responsible for the maintenance of the equipment and other railway servants concerned,” he added.