At least six people were killed this morning when the express service passing through Chunar railway station in Mirzapur district struck a group of pilgrims who had disembarked and were crossing the tracks. The incident occurred at around 09:15 when the train travelling on the main line collided with the group near platform 3.
According to railway officials, the victims had just alighted from another service at platform 4 and attempted to cross the tracks instead of using the foot overbridge. Reports state that the ill-fated victims were on their way to partake in the Kartik Purnima baths at the Ganges and had reached the station via the Gomo–Prayagraj passenger train. The express train involved was the Howrah-Kalka Mail, which does not halt at Chunar and was passing at speed when the collision occurred. Local law-enforcement and railway protection units rushed to the scene to gather remains, identify the deceased and assist the injured.
Chunar railway station is a small station in the Mirzapur district of Uttar Pradesh that serves pilgrims and travellers heading to riverside religious events. Crowds surge on major festive occasions such as Kartik Purnima, which increases pressure on station infrastructure and creates risk of track-crossing incidents. Railway officials have emphasised that the platform layout features a foot overbridge and warning signage; nevertheless, passengers frequently attempt to shortcut by crossing tracks due to time pressures or rush.
State chief executive Yogi Adityanath issued an immediate order for a full inquiry, expressing condolences for those who lost their lives and directing medical and relief teams to provide prompt aid to the injured. First-responders reported that the crash was especially gruesome: some bodies and body parts were found scattered along the track, complicating identification efforts. Victim names have been released in one regional account: S, wife of Rajkumar from Kamariya, Rajgarh; Sadhna daughter of Vijay Shankar Bind; Shiv Kumari daughter of Vijay Shankar; Appu Devi daughter of Shyam Prasad; Sushila Devi wife of Motilal of Mahuari, Padri; and Kalawati Devi wife of Janardhan Yadav of Baswa, Karma, Sonbhadra district. All six were female pilgrims.
Investigators have indicated that the express train in question—reportedly running at around 60 km/h through the station—was not scheduled to stop at Chunar and thus did not slow for boarders or alighters. One rail-worker said the victims “jumped the track to save time” rather than taking the overbridge adjacent to the platforms. The station master has confirmed that platform 4 serves trains from the Gomo–Prayagraj direction, while platform 3 is used by the main line—a layout that may have contributed to confusion among travellers unfamiliar with the station layout.
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