11 dead as passengers flee train fire in India

At least 11 people were killed and five injured as they fled rumors of a fire on their train in India, only to be hit by another train.

Railway officials said the passengers were on board a Mumbai-bound train in the western state of Maharashtra after someone pulled the emergency cord, causing it to stop.

They were hit by a train on the track next to them. It was not immediately clear if there was actually a fire.

India has launched a $30m (£24bn) program to modernize its railways in recent years, but this has been marred by a series of accidents, including In the year A major three train accident in the state of Odisha in 2023 This claimed nearly 300 lives.

In a post on X, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he was “deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life” in the accident near Pachora in Jalgaon district, 400 km from India’s financial capital Mumbai.

Eight ambulances have been dispatched and hospitals are on standby, he said.

The disaster has prompted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to modernize the railways to boost the economy and connectivity.

Next month’s budget is set to increase spending on the program, Reuters news agency reported.