3 dead, 80 injured as Vidarbha Express hits coach

MUMBAI: Three people died and nearly 80 passengers of the Vidarbha Express were injured after it collided with the derailed coach of a local train near Kasara on Thursday.

The sequence of events leading to the mishap started with a landslide derailing four coaches of a Central Railway suburban train a little before 9.30pm. The derailment happened between Kasara and Umbermali stations. A couple of these coaches, witnesses said, came to occupy a part of the neighbouring tracks used by long-distance trains.

The Mumbai-Gondia Vidarbha Express was scheduled to cross the stretch around 9.30pm. Passengers said the driver applied the emergency brake but it was too late to stop the engine of the long-distance train from hitting the derailed coaches.

The impact of this collision threw one of the coaches of the Vidarbha Express on top of another coach and led to the derailment of its engine. Officials confirmed at least three deaths and said around 80 passengers of these two coaches were injured. The first derailment of the suburban train coaches and the collision with the long-distance train happened in a span of 90 seconds, officials added.

"Four coaches of the N-30 Kasara-Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus local derailed between Kasara and Umbermali stations on Kalyan-Igatpuri section of Mumbai division on CR a little before 9.30pm," a senior CR official said. "The Mumbai-Gondia Vidarbha Express, which was travelling towards Kasara after leaving CST, hit one of the derailed coaches resulting in derailment of the engine of the Vidarbha Express."

Nitin Pakhale, a commuter traveling in S-5 coach of the Vidarbha Express, said, "The engine driver had to apply emergency brake as he saw the derailed coach of the suburban train quite late because of the total darkness. Coach S-9 went atop coach S-10 because of this, resulting in injuries to passengers of these two coaches."

Senior CR officials rushed to the spot but they admitted blinding rain and near-zero visibility hampered rescue operations substantially. A Medical Van was ordered to rush to the spot immediately.