After Yet Another Track Tragedy, Six Women Killed in Mirzapur — A Grim Reminder That One Wrong Step on Railway Tracks Can Cost a Life

Six women lost their lives at Chunar Railway Station in Uttar Pradesh’s Mirzapur district on Wednesday morning — a tragic reminder that even a moment’s haste on railway tracks can cost one’s life.

The victims — who had come to take a holy dip in the Ganga on Kartik Purnima — reportedly alighted from the Chopan–Prayagraj passenger train on the wrong side of platform no. 4 and attempted to cross the tracks, ignoring the foot-overbridge meant for safe crossing.

As they stepped down, a speeding train approaching from the opposite direction struck them, killing all six on the spot.

The deceased have been identified as Savita (28), Sadhna (16), Shiv Kumari (12), Anju Devi (20), Sushila Devi (60) — residents of Mirzapur — and Kalawati Devi (50) from Sonbhadra.

Chaos and panic followed the accident as police and railway teams rushed for rescue operations.

Senior officers soon arrived, and the bodies were sent for post-mortem examination.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed his condolences and ordered immediate relief action, directing SDRF and NDRF teams to work on a war footing.

Railway officials explained that despite the availability of a foot-overbridge at the station, passengers chose the track route.

Sources said earlier there was a more convenient bridge directly connecting the platform, but after its removal, the new bridge built at the far corner has made many passengers take risky shortcuts.

This heartbreaking accident highlights a painful truth — no matter how urgent the situation, crossing railway tracks is a deadly gamble. In India, despite repeated warnings, many passengers continue to jump down onto the trackside instead of using foot-overbridges.

A train can appear silently and at high speed from either direction, and in just seconds, lives are lost forever. Roads, platforms, and railway tracks are not places to take chances; life is too precious to risk for a few saved minutes.

Not the First — India Has Seen Such Tragedies Repeatedly

Sadly, similar fatal incidents have occurred over the years due to the same risky behavior:

• Amritsar (Punjab), October 2018:
  During Dussehra celebrations, around 59 people were killed when a train ran over a crowd standing and crossing tracks while watching fireworks near Joda Phatak. Like at Chunar, people underestimated the speed and direction of approaching trains.
• Mumbai Local Train Tracks:
  Mumbai suburban railways record hundreds of deaths every year, a large number due to commuters crossing tracks instead of using footbridges. In 2017, 23 people died in a stampede at Elphinstone Bridge, triggered partly by overcrowding and the rush to avoid walking long distances to safer exits.
• Bihar – Patna Junction, 2018:
  A group of passengers was run over when they attempted to cross the tracks after getting down on the wrong side. The accident killed several and injured others — again reflecting the fatal practice of shortcutting over tracks.
• Jharkhand, 2021:
  Three women traveling for Chhath Puja were killed near Dumka after they stepped off the train onto the tracks to avoid a longer walk to the footbridge — a situation eerily similar to Mirzapur.

Despite infrastructure improvements across Indian Railways — including foot-overbridges, announcements, and fencing — life-threatening shortcuts continue to claim innocent lives.

This tragedy must serve as a wake-up call. Safety is a shared responsibility — and one decision taken in haste can wipe out families and futures.

No ritual, no urgency, no shortcut is worth risking one’s life.

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