LUCKNOW: Five lost their lives after they were run over by two trains near Pachdevra halt overbridge in Karchhana area in Prayagraj on late Wednesday evening.
As per the local sources, a man was run over by the Kalka Express, which forced the train to come to a halt. As some passengers jumped out onto the tracks to observe the situation, out of “curiosity”, another train, the Purushottam Express, reportedly arrived on another track and ran four people over, killing them on the spot.
Condoling the accident, Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to reach the site.
The sources said that Akash (19), a resident of Prithvipur village under Khairgarh police station in Firozabad, was travelling to attend a wedding in Kolkata. Ajay, son of Munna Pasi and a resident of Kolkata, was also with him.
Near Pachdevara, a man fell from the same train, after which the emergency chain was pulled, and the train stopped.
Many passengers got down to relieve themselves when the Kalka Mail sounded its horn and people started moving back towards the train.
Meanwhile, the Purushottam Express, coming from the Mirzapur side, hit four people. According to Shashikant Tripathi, chief public relations officer (CPRO) of North Central Railway, the accident occurred after the passengers disembarked from the general coaches of the train and remained on the tracks during the halt.
The accidents also disrupted the movement on the Howrah-Delhi route for some time.
The deceased were identified as Baliram Bhagat, 36, a resident of Siwan in Bihar, Sunil Kumar from Neebi in Mirzapur, and Aakash from Khairgarh in Firozabad.
The remaining two passengers who were killed in the second accident were yet to be identified. Meanwhile, a probe into the accident was also launched.