Railway work debris and iron rod injure two passengers on Kasara local train, one critical; 3 staffers suspended

Mumbai: Two passengers were injured — one of them critically — after flying debris and a 3m-long iron rod from ongoing railway work struck a moving Kasara-bound local on Wednesday afternoon, in a shocking incident that has exposed serious lapses in safety practices by the engineering wing of Central Railway.Following the incident, three staffers from the engineering department have been suspended pending an internal inquiry. Railway officials maintained that such works are strictly regulated, but admitted that protocols appear to have been breached in this case.The incident occurred around 4.45pm between Khardi and Umbermali stations, when stones and the rod allegedly got dislodged during slope protection and netting work along the tracks, striking commuters standing at the train doorway. Kasara resident Eknath Thomre, 45, suffered grievous head and facial injuries after being hit by the rod and falling out of the train due to the impact. He was first rushed to Kasara Govt Hospital, then referred to Shahapur Govt Hospital, and later shifted by relatives to a private hospital in Thane, where he remains in a critical condition.Another commuter, Rohit Sarukte, 24, sustained injuries to his thigh after being struck by debris and was discharged after treatment.Thomre works as housekeeping staff and is the sole breadwinner of his family, said Eknath Khadke, a relative. "The rod hit him directly on the face. His eyes have been severely damaged and he has a serious head injury," he said. Thomre lives with his wife and two sons.The work underway involved installation of protective wire mesh on rocky slopes — a high-risk activity that railway norms mandate must be carried out only after taking a ‘block', or a scheduled halt of train services on the affected line.However, preliminary findings suggest the work was conducted while suburban services were operational, allowing loose material and equipment to fall onto the passing train — a grave violation that has triggered serious safety concerns and raised questions over supervision and accountability within the engineering department.The incident has sparked outrage among commuters and passenger groups, who said the lapse could have resulted in multiple fatalities on one of the busiest suburban corridors.Rail Yatri's Subhash Gupta said, "This is not mere negligence but a criminal act. Carrying out such hazardous work without taking mandatory blocks shows a complete disregard for passenger safety. The inquiry must be concluded within a week, and those found responsible should be removed from service and their financial benefits withheld."Railway Protection Force personnel recorded statements of passengers and eyewitnesses, while senior officials from the division visited the site. A detailed probe has been initiated to fix responsibility and determine how such dangerous work was permitted on a live track section.
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