In a shocking incident on Tuesday, a man sustained severe injuries after climbing onto the roof of an AC local train between Diva and Kopar stations.
The episode occurred around 10:12 AM when the AC local (No. K/25, scheduled to arrive at Diva Station at 10:00 AM, reached Platform No. 1 with a 12-minute delay. Passengers were startled to see a man on the rear coach roof. As the train halted, the individual attempted to climb down but accidentally came into contact with the high-voltage Overhead Equipment (OHE), receiving a powerful electric shock that set his clothes on fire.
Alert commuters immediately raised an alarm. Quick action followed from SIPF J.K. Verma, ASI Shivkumar Meena, and station staff, who responded without delay. Pointsman Sharad, aided by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and station porters (hamals), succeeded in bringing the injured man down.
He was rushed by ambulance to Shivaji Hospital in Kalwa for emergency medical care. His current condition remains unconfirmed.
The Station Master subsequently issued Memo No. 136887 regarding the incident. The train resumed operations at 10:38 AM, departing with a delay of 26 minutes.
Authorities are probing how the man accessed the train roof and have once again warned of the grave dangers linked to such acts.
Fire near Kelve station halts train, exposes emergency response gaps
In another incident on September 19, a fire near Kelve Road railway station on the Western Railway’s Dahanu-Virar stretch had reignited concerns over the region’s poor emergency response network, after fire engines failed to reach the spot in time.
The incident occurred when smoke was spotted from the engine of train no 59023 Valsad Fast Passenger. Within minutes, flames erupted, forcing the train to halt for passenger safety. While the blaze was eventually contained, the real crisis lay in the response.
Although the fire brigade was alerted promptly, tenders could not reach the site due to narrow, muddy, pothole-ridden roads and a lack of access to the tracks. Firefighters were forced to park their vehicles far away and drag long water pipelines to the scene, causing a critical delay. Experts warn such lapses could turn a manageable blaze into a catastrophe.
