Over 21,800 people killed in rail accidents

New Delhi: As many as 21,803 people were killed in 24,678 railway accidents in the country in 2023 with Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh reporting the highest fatalities, according to a report of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

In 2023, among all railway accidents, there were 56 cases due to fault of driver while 43 train accidents took place due to mechanical defects like poor design, track faults, bridge or tunnel collapse.

Maharashtra has reported the majority of such cases, accounting for 29.8 per cent (5,507 cases) of total cases of ‘fall from train or collision of trains with people at track’.

A total of 24,678 cases of railway accidents were reported, showing an increase of 6.7 per cent during 2023 over 2022 (23,139).

Maximum railway accidents were reported in Maharashtra accounting for 22.5 per cent (5,559 cases) followed by Uttar Pradesh (13 per cent, 3,212 cases).

These two states also reported highest fatalities in railways accidents, accounting for 15.8 per cent (3,445 deaths) in Maharashtra and 14.4 per cent (3,149 deaths) in Uttar Pradesh.