Rly orders comprehensive probe into Aurangabad accident

The Railways has ordered a comprehensive probe into the Aurangabad accident in which 16 migrants workers who were sleeping on the tracks were mowed down by a goods train early on Friday.

They were returning to Madhya Pradesh amid the novel coronavirus-induced lockdown.

What is being probed is the role of patrolmen who are tasked with keeping trespassers away from tracks and also alert the nearest station about any incident.

"Ram Kripal, Commissioner of Railway Safety, South Central Circle, will hold an independent inquiry into today's labourers runover incident in Parbhani-Manmad section of Nanded Railway division of South Central Railway," the Railway Ministry announced.

While the railways does not treat these incidents as "railway accidents" and terms runover cases as "trespassing", there have been instances in the past where it has offered ex-gratia to the next of kin of a victim on sympathetic grounds.

In the 2017 Elphinstone bridge collapse incident in which 23 people were killed and 39 injured in Mumbai, the railways had given ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to the next of kin of those killed in the incident, Rs 1 lakh for those seriously injured and Rs 50,000 to people who suffered simple injuries.

The railways has not yet announced any ex gratia in the Aurangabad accident.