Pradeep Gupta & Manthan K Mehta TNN
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The accident took place at around 2.40pm near pole number 61/37, between Ambivli and Titwala, when the local coming from Kasara derailed and six of its coaches moved around 500 metres from the rest of the train. A senior official said, “Either derailment led to the de-coupling of coaches or the decoupling may have caused the derailment. Neither possibility can be ruled out till a probe is carried out.” A statutory inquiry will be held by the commissioner of railway safety (central circle).
The accident’s only casualty, Ghatkopar resident Dhaval Lodaya, had just appeared for his HSC exam. He had gone to the Manas Jain temple at Asangaon with four friends after the exam and was on his way back when tragedy struck.
GRP sub-inspector Nilesh Vaze said the injured were initially admitted to Rukminibai Hospital and Railway Hospital. ‘Decoupling unlikely to have caused derailment’
Railway officials said decoupling of coaches didn’t seem to be a plausible reason for Thursday’s train derailment near Titwala which killed a 19-year-old and injured 23 others, including the train’s guard.
Officials pointed out tha coaches 6 to 10 had derailed, while it was the coupling of coaches 7 and 8 that was found to be broken. “Coaches which get decoupled do not get derailed, it is coaches behind them which are usually affected,” and official said.
Central Railway’s general manager S K Sood reiterated the view. “I do no think that decoupling could have been reason, but it is difficult to ascertain the cause as this stage,” he said. Local railway officials said some track repair work had been carried out earlier in the day. But Sood said, “No major work was carried out on the track which could have led to such an incident.”
According to the Kalyan GRP team that is probing the incident, after the train derailed, those standing on the footboard fell down on impact and suffered injuries. Officials said the train may have been traveling at a speed of 60-70 kmph hour when it jumped tracks.
Among those seriously injured in the derailment was the guard, R N Dubey (48). Two commuters who too suffered major injuries were moved to Sion Hospital. Three commuters were discharged from hospitals after initial treatment.
A CR official said, “Traffic on the Up and Down directions was suspended till late in the evening as the derailed coach had infringed on the Down tracks too. Shuttle services were operating between Titwala and Kasara and Amibivli to Kalyan. Moreover, two long-distance trains were held up.”
INVESTIGATION ORDERED
Local railway officials claimed some track repair work had been carried out on Thursday. But senior CR officials said no major work was carried out on the track which could have caused such an incident
Officials said decoupling didn’t seem plausible as coaches 6 to 10 were derailed, while the coupling of coaches 7 and 8 was broken. They said coaches which get decoupled do not get derailed, but it is coaches behind them are affected. A probe has been ordered
It is still unclear if the coaches of the CST-bound local decoupled after jumping tracks near Titwala or if the decoupling led to derailment
VICTIM | DHAVAL LODAYA (19) | A resident of Ghatkopar, Dhaval recently appeared for his HSC exams. After completing his last exam, Lodaya went with four family friends to Manas Jain Mandir in Aasangaon and was on his way back home on Thursday when he died in the mishap
