Of the total railway accidents, 56 cases were attributed to driver faults, while 43 incidents occurred owing to mechanical defects, including poor design, track faults, or bridge and tunnel collapses
The majority of accidents (3,771 cases) occurred between 6 pm and 9 pm, accounting for 15.3 per cent of all railway mishaps. Representational pic
A total of 21,803 people were killed in 24,678 railway accidents across India in 2023, with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh recording the highest fatalities, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) revealed.
Of the total railway accidents, 56 cases were attributed to driver faults, while 43 incidents occurred owing to mechanical defects, including poor design, track faults, or bridge and tunnel collapses, reported news agency PTI.
The majority of mishaps – 74.9 per cent (18,480 out of 24,678) - were incidents — involving commuters falling off trains or “collision with people at tracks”. These incidents accounted for 15,878 deaths, or 72.8 per cent of total railway fatalities in 2023. Maharashtra reported the highest number of such mishaps, accounting for 29.8 per cent (5,507 cases) of all “fall from train or collision at track” incidents.
Overall, the 24,678 railway accidents in 2023 marked a 6.7 per cent increase over 23,139 cases reported in 2022, PTI reported. A total of 3,014 people also suffered injuries in these mishaps, with Maharashtra alone reporting 2,115 of these injuries.
The state also recorded the maximum number of railway accidents at 22.5 per cent (5,559 cases), followed by Uttar Pradesh at 13 per cent (3,212 cases). These two states also reported the highest fatalities, with 3,445 deaths (15.8 per cent) in Maharashtra and 3,149 deaths (14.4 per cent) in Uttar Pradesh.
In terms of timings, the majority of accidents (3,771 cases) occurred between 6 pm and 9 pm, accounting for 15.3 per cent of all railway mishaps. Accidents between 9 am and 12 noon accounted for 3,693 cases, or 15 per cent of the total mishaps, reported PTI.
The mishaps reported by the railways were caused by a range of factors, including driver faults, sabotage, signalmen errors, mechanical failures, and other reasons.
Uttar Pradesh reported the highest number of accidents at railway crossings, accounting for 41.3 per cent (1,025 out of 2,483 cases), followed by West Bengal (32.4 per cent, 805 cases), and Madhya Pradesh (15.1 per cent, 375 cases). These three states also reported the most fatalities in crossing accidents: Uttar Pradesh (1,007 deaths, 44.9 per cent), West Bengal (581 deaths, 25.9 per cent), and Madhya Pradesh (375 deaths, 16.7 per cent).
(With PTI inputs)
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