Over 13,000 train accidents in 2020, 32 lives lost daily on average: NCRB report

The NCRB report on railway incidents across the country showed that Maharashtra ranks first and Uttar Pradesh second, both in terms of the number of accidents as well as deaths.

More than 13,000 train accidents across the country have killed nearly 12,000 railway passengers last year, according to a recent report by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB). The latest statistics mean that on average, 32 people lost their lives every day in these accidents in 2020. The report also shows that 8,400 or about 70 per cent of these railway accidents last year took place as passengers either fell off the train or came in the way while crossing the railway track.

The NCRB report also showed that railway accidents reduced significantly in 2020, compared to that of the previous year.  (File Photo / HT)

These are the statistics from a period when 45 per cent of the passenger trains in the country were not being operated due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Maharashtra tops list in railway accidents, UP takes second spot

The NCRB report on railway accidents across the country showed that Maharashtra ranks first and Uttar Pradesh second, both in terms of the number of accidents as well as deaths.

Uttar Pradesh topped the list ranking the number of train collisions at railway crossings, while Bihar and Madhya Pradesh came second and third in this list, respectively.

However, the report, issued by the central government, also showed that railway accidents reduced significantly in 2020, compared to that of the previous year. According to the NCRB Annual Report 2020, there were 27,987 train accidents in 2019, which declined to 13,018 in 2020.

The report further detailed that as many as 11,986 railway passengers were killed and 11,127 were injured in these accidents during the past year. The highest number of train accidents or 20 per cent of the total were found to be in Maharashtra, while Uttar Pradesh followed up at number two with 12 per cent of the total number of accidents.

In terms of the number of deaths, Maharashtra again topped the list, reporting 1,922 deaths (16 per cent of the toll), while Uttar Pradesh recorded 1,558 deaths (13 per cent of the toll).

Train collisions

Out of the 13,018 recorded train accidents in 2020, as many as 9,117 of them (70 per cent of the total) took place due to passengers falling off the train or coming on its way while crossing the track.

A total of 8,400 people died in this manner, which is again 70 per cent of the total death toll of 11,987. Additionally, Uttar Pradesh topped the list in terms of train collisions at railway crossings, recording as many as 380 of the 1,014 total accidents reported in this manner. Bihar, with 191 train accidents and 144 crossing collisions, came second.

In Madhya Pradesh, there were a total of 191 train accidents and 144 collision crossings; the state came third in the list of similar accidents.

In all, a total of 1,185 people died in train collisions, with 561 deaths (47 per cent), in UP, 142 deaths (16 per cent) in Bihar, and 191 deaths in Madhya Pradesh.

Errors on part of loco pilot

Out of the 13,018 train accidents in 2020, as many as 12,440 of them took place due to the fault of the loco pilot, the person responsible for driving the train and ensuring its proper maintenance during transit. Other reasons include errors on part of the signalman, mechanical errors, poor track repair infrastructure, bridge/tunnel collapse, and the likes.