Bhopal/Jabalpur, Dec 7 (IANS) A woman was killed and five others, including two children, received critical injuries in Jabalpur’s Madan Mahal Railway Station after being run over by a speeding freight train.

The incident took place late Saturday night. All the injured persons were admitted to Jabalpur Medical College.

According to the Government Railway Police officials, six members of a family from Narsinghpur district were caught in a devastating mishap at Platform No. 1 of Madan Mahal station late on December 6, around 11.30 p.m. The family included Pushpa Soni (39), Shivani Patel (22), Nanhi Bai (40), four-year-old Reeti Patel, two-year-old Indrajit Patel, and another four-year-old child. They alighted at Madan Mahal railway station by the Janshatabdi Express and were attempting to move between platforms, police officials said.

Instead of using the foot overbridge, the three women and their children tried to cross the tracks directly.

Eyewitnesses reported that as they stepped down, a freight train approached at high speed from the opposite direction. In the ensuing panic, the group was struck. Pushpa Soni died instantly, while the others sustained severe injuries.

The injured were quickly rescued by fellow passengers and rushed to Jabalpur Medical College Hospital with the help of emergency services.

The freight train driver halted immediately after the collision, but the damage had already been done, the GRP officials said.

The absence of security personnel on the platform at the time has raised serious concerns. Observers noted that had railway staff or guards been present, they might have prevented the family from crossing the tracks, potentially averting the tragedy.

Police investigations are underway, with the GRP examining eyewitness accounts and station CCTV cameras.

Authorities have confirmed that two women and three children remain under intensive treatment, while the station administration faces questions about lapses in passenger safety.

This incident underscores the persistent dangers of track-crossing at the railway stations, where, despite repeated advisories, passengers often risk their lives by avoiding footbridges.

–IANS

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