At least 11 people were killed and five injured after fleeing rumors of a fire aboard their train in India, only to be hit by another train.
Railway officials said passengers got off the train bound for Mumbai in western Maharashtra state after someone pulled the emergency cord, causing it to stop.
They were hit by a train on an adjacent track. It was not immediately clear whether there had actually been a fire.
India has launched a $30m (£24bn) program to upgrade its railways in recent years, but this has been marred by a series of accidents, including a major crash involving three trains in 2023 in the state of Odisha, which left nearly 300 dead.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said in a post on km from Mumbai, the financial capital of India.
He said eight ambulances had been dispatched and hospitals were on standby.
The accident will be seen as a setback for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has called for railway modernization to boost the economy and connectivity.
It is planned to increase spending on this program in next month’s budget, reports the Reuters news agency.
