Thane Man Ignored Friend's Advice To Stand Near Train Door, That Probably Saved Him

Dipak Shirsat, a resident of Ulhasnagar in Maharashtra's Thane district, did not pay heed to his friend's advice to stand near the footboard of an overcrowded local train on Monday and that probably saved his life.

Shirsat's childhood friend, Ketan Saroj, was among the four commuters who died after falling off two packed local trains in Thane district during morning rush hours. The accident took place near Mumbra railway station when the trains were crossing each other on a steep turn.

He said after the accident, fellow passengers pulled the alarm chain more than two times, but the local train did not stop.

Shirsat and Saroj, residents of Ulhasnagar, were also colleagues and used to travel together to their workplace at Airoli in Navi Mumbai.

"We both used to catch the train from Shahad station at 8:30 am, and after getting down at Thane, we used to go to the office at Airoli. This was our daily routine," Shirsat told reporters in a voice choked with emotion.

"This morning we both boarded the local train, which was crowded as usual, but I managed to sneak inside the coach, whereas Ketan was standing at the door," he said.

Many passengers alight at Kalyan station so the train gets somewhat vacant. Passengers who are inside the coach try to come near the door to get fresh air, a common and risky practice due to overcrowding, Shirsat said.

The train halted at Diva station where it got overcrowded.

"Ketan, who was at the footboard of the train, called me twice to stand near the door with him, but I remained inside," said Shirsat.

After Diva, the train's next halt was Thane, but near Mumbra at a curve, another fast local crossed their train.

"Some passengers of the other train had backpacks, which brushed with commuters of our local. The same thing happened with passengers of the other train. This led to the accident, in which four commuters standing on footboards of the two trains fell off and died, including Saroj," he said.

If the train had stopped immediately, the injured passengers could have got immediate medical treatment, Shirsat said as he mourned the loss of his childhood friend.

Chief Public Relations Officer of the Central Railway, Swapnil Nila, said the victims were travelling on the footboards of the two trains, one travelling towards Kasara and another towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Mumbai.

Nine others were injured in the accident. The commuters were hanging from the doors of the crowded trains and their backpacks brushed against each other as the trains passed in opposite directions, causing 13 of them to fall, police said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)