Mumbai: Porters crushed by train didn't hear warning-horn, say police
Two porters, who were mowed down by a Mumbai local train on Tuesday while trying to clear the body of a 66-year-old man off the tracks, couldn't hear the repeated honks blown by the Virar-bound train motorman, cops said today. They were too focused on removing the body of Pangati Naidu, who had accidentally fallen off a train roughly 30-minutes prior to their death.
On Tuesday around 8.30pm, after Naidu fell off a Virar-bound train, announcements were made on the public address system. Two porters, Ram Vilas Paswan (50) and Hariram Rajbhar (40), two GRP officials, a doctor and station master Manoj Chavan rushed to the spot to clear off the body. Just when Naidu's body was being loaded on the stretcher, a local train arrived.
No one could see it in the dark till the last moment, when all, except Paswan and Rajbhar, jumped into a nearby drain. The porters weren't quick to act and got mowed down by the train. However, other reports alleged that Chavan, who also sustained a fracture in his left leg, did not alert the porters on time despite being asked to do so.
Senior GRP official posted in Vasai, Vilas Chowgule, said that Chavan will be questioned about the incident once he recovers from his injuries. Chavan is recuperating in a Vasai hospital. Chief PRO of Western Railways confirmed the incident and said an ADR has been filed.
