Six dead as Hindu pilgrims hit by train in India

At least six passengers were killed after being hit by a train while they were crossing the railway tracks in Indian city of Mirzapur on Wednesday morning.

The victims were travelling from Chopan to Varanasi to take a holy dip in the Ganga. They had arrived at Chunar by a passenger train when the incident occurred at Chunar Railway Station.

According to railway officials, the passengers did not get down on the platform side of the train but on the opposite side, where they were hit by another train coming from the other direction.

It has been learnt that train number 13309 (Chopan-Praygraj Express) arrived at Chunar Station platform 4, following which several passengers got down from the wrong side and were trespassing on the main line while the bridge was available.

While the passengers were crossing the track, train no 12311 (Netaji Express) came from the other side and ran them over.

This was the second train disaster in India in as many days as on Tuesday 11 people were killed when a passenger train collided with a good train in Chhattisgarh.