Mirzapur Train Tragedy: 'Devotees Tried To Take Shortcut', Reveal Witnesses; 6 Dead After Being Run Over By Kalka Express At Chunar station

Lucknow: Six devotees were killed and several others critically injured on Wednesday morning (November 5) after being struck by the Kalka-bound Netaji Express at Chunar railway station in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district.

The accident took place at around 9:30 am when a group of pilgrims attempted to cross the tracks instead of using the foot overbridge.

How the tragedy unfolded

According to a report by The Times of India, eyewitnesses said the devotees had arrived from Chopan by a passenger train that stopped at Platform No 4. In an attempt to reach Platform No 3, they decided to cross the tracks on foot. At that moment, the Kalka-bound Netaji Express (Train No. 12311), which had no scheduled stop at Chunar and was running at full speed, passed through and hit them.

The impact was severe, leaving six people dead on the spot and several others critically injured. Witnesses described the scene as chaotic as other passengers and railway staff rushed to assist the victims. The injured were immediately taken to nearby hospitals for treatment.

Railway officials said the deceased were pilgrims travelling to Varanasi to take part in Kartik Purnima rituals. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examinations, and efforts are underway to identify the victims.

CM’s response

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed condolences to the families of those killed and directed senior officials to reach the site without delay. He instructed the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to assist in rescue operations and ensure quick medical attention for the injured.

An ex gratia of Rs 2 lakh has been announced for the next of kin of each deceased person. Railway and police officials have launched an investigation to determine whether adequate safety measures were in place and to prevent such incidents in the future.

Despite the accident, train operations at Chunar Junction remained unaffected, with additional Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel deployed to manage the situation.