3 injured in freak railway mishap near Mumbai, Maharashtra

In a freak accident, three passengers of a local train in Thane in Maharashtra were injured on Tuesday after being hit by broken pieces of pantograph, the engine’s device drawing power from overhead lines, of another train.

The accident took place on the Central Railway line when the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)-Karjat local’s pantograph broke and its pieces fell on passengers of Karjat-CST local train, who were standing near its exit door, a Central Railway official told agency.

The accident took place near Vangani railway station in Thane district, around 70 km from Mumbai.
Among the three injured, one passenger is critical, hospital sources said.

The train services on the line were resumed after nearly three hours as a section of the railway tracks for outstation trains was also affected. Most outstation trains were diverted to other routes.

Those injured have been identified as Vilas Duttu, 27, Ananta Karale, 20, and Abdul Rahim Dastagir, 23.

A pantograph is a hinged electric-rod device that draws electric current from overhead lines for trains or trams.