Mumbai: Three women were killed and one was seriously injured when they were run over by an outstation train between Malad and Goregaon stations on Saturday. According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), the incident occurred around 12.20 p.m.
Police said the four women were contract labourers hired by the Railways for track repair and maintenance work. They were assigned work between Goregaon and Malad stations on Saturday morning, and were on their way home.
DCP (Western zone) Purushottam Karad, Mumbai GRP, said, “The four women were walking on the tracks to Malad station to take a train to Jogeshwari, where they stay. They were run over by the Bandra-Indore holiday special. Three died on the spot.” All four were taken to Siddharth Hospital in Goregaon, where three were declared dead before admission. The fourth victim has been admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.
The train was held up for around 20 minutes till the bodies were cleared from the tracks, after which it was allowed to proceed, officers said. The GRP have registered Accidental Death Reports in connection with the deaths.
Based on the statement of the labour contractor who had employed them, the GRP identified the deceased as Anita Shinde (32), Jaya Khatawase (35) and Shivani Bhoryalay (18). The injured woman is identified as Sunita Bhoryalay. Officers said they were from Bhopal.
After the incident, rumours of the four women having died on duty began making the rounds on social media. Both the GRP and Railways authorities clarified that their place of work was far from the site of the accident, and that they were ‘trespassing’, the technical term used by the Railways for people crossing tracks at unauthorised points.