A morning commute on the Central Railway line turned chaotic on Friday after three passengers fell from a moving local train heading towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The incident took place around 10 am between Sion and Matunga stations, during peak office hours.
Railway authorities said the train had barely moved about 500 metres after departing Sion station when the passengers fell onto the tracks. All three were reportedly standing near the door of an overcrowded compartment at the time of the incident.
The injured have been identified as Sachin Sharma (26), a resident of Nalasopara; Afzal Chaudhary (30) from Govandi; and Zenual Sayyad (35), also known as Qaisar Mehandi, from Kurla. They were immediately shifted to Sion Hospital after fellow commuters alerted the railway control room.
Police’s Stance on the Incident
Providing details of the preliminary probe, Anil Mane, Senior Inspector, Dadar GRP, said, “Initial findings indicate that the passengers lost balance and fell from the moving train.” The Dadar Government Railway Police have registered an incident report and initiated a detailed inquiry.
Doctors at Sion Hospital said Sayyad suffered serious injuries, including abdominal trauma and a fractured elbow. Due to severe chest injuries, his condition remains critical. Chaudhary sustained injuries to his head and right arm and is currently stable, while Sharma suffered injuries to his head and left leg and is reported to be out of danger. Sharma’s family declined to speak to the media.
Meanwhile, railway officials acknowledged that train services were briefly affected following the incident. As a safety measure, power supply to the overhead equipment was temporarily shut down to prevent other trains from entering the section.
Central Railway Official Responded on the Accident
Explaining the emergency response, a Central Railway official said, “Around 10 am, there was a fight between a few commuters, and in the melee, they fell off the CSMT (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus)-bound slow train, which had just started off from Sion station. The three passengers have been injured. Sion is a non-operating station without a station master. As we received information at the control room, we switched off the power for eight to nine minutes so that no other train comes from the opposite direction till the three were rescued.”
In an official statement, the railways added, “Three persons were injured at Sion station around 10 am. There was some quarrel among themselves and they had ended up falling down beside the CSMT-bound track in the station area of Sion station. The OHE (overhead equipment) of the CSMT-bound and Kalyan-bound track was turned off for the same. They were taken to hospital and all are stable as of now.”
However, police officials said statements from the injured passengers are yet to be recorded as they are undergoing treatment. Another senior railway official said clarity on the exact cause would emerge only after that stage. “Only after that will it be clear whether the incident was purely accidental or if any altercation or dispute contributed to the fall,” the official said.
Further investigation into the incident is ongoing.
