Hindi English Translation || Editorial || Rumour has it: On the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express accident

Rumour has it: On the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express accident

The underlying causes of the track deaths have more to do with deep rooted malaises

Panic (घबराहट, दहशत) and confusion seem to have triggered (शुरुआत करना, भड़काना) the Lucknow-Mumbai Pushpak Express accident in Maharashtra that killed 12 people and injured at least 10 others. Eyewitness accounts talk about the rumour (अफवाह) of a fire that led to an alarm chain being pulled and the train coming to a stop. Passengers often choose to get down when their train makes unscheduled stops and that is what happened near Pachora station in Jalgaon district. Those who deboarded (उतरना) on the side of an oncoming train on the adjacent track, the Karnataka Express, were mowed down (कुचल देना). Reports talk about a curve that reduced the line of sight of the driver of the oncoming train who, nevertheless, promptly (तुरंत, शीघ्र) applied the brakes seeing the flashing lights, as in the procedure adopted to stop all other trains when one train stops midsection. The Karnataka Express was speeding and had a braking distance of some 750 m; the Rajdhani needs more than a kilometre to stop. It could have been worse had the brakes not been applied promptly, railway officials have been quoted as saying. Passengers deboarding a train and facing danger is not uncommon either. Auto doors that can be opened and closed only by railway personnel — a feature of the Vande Bharat and Rajdhani trains — may need to be fitted in general trains as well. Such doors come with their own logistical (Relating to the organization and planning of operations) challenges such as a requirement that the door locking system of each bogie matches with the rest, but it may well be worth the cost.

The panic shown by the passengers is a typical response in India and is seen in stampedes (भगदड़). In 2017, a flower vendor on a rail platform bridge at Elphinstone Road station in Mumbai, apparently complained in Marathi of ‘her flowers falling’, which commuters misunderstood to mean that the bridge was collapsing, leading to a stampede that killed 23 people. Probably, the series of railway accidents in recent times was fresh in the minds of the Pushpak Express passengers and added to the panic. While those accidents, at first glance (नज़र, झलक), were caused by human errors or local faults, they were actually a result of a long-term and unaddressed need for enhancing (सुधारना, बढ़ाना) railway safety. Further, initial media reports quoted railway officials talking about “hot axle” and “brake binding” that may have caused sparks and smoke, which gave rise to fears of a fire, and in turn the alarm chain being pulled. Brake binding happens when a brake is applied by the driver but after its release the brake does not disengage (अलग करना) in one or more bogies. The wheels, instead of rolling, would only slide when speed picks up, leading to the emission of sparks (To cause something to happen or ignite) and smoke. Brake binding is a case of poor maintenance. An inquiry by the Commissioner of Railway Safety concerned, an independent body of railway experts that does not come under the Railway Ministry, should uncover the true cause of Wednesday’s accident.

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.Panic (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - घबराहट, दहशत
English Meaning - A sudden, uncontrollable fear or anxiety.

2.Trigger (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - शुरुआत करना, भड़काना
English Meaning - To cause an event or situation to happen suddenly.

3.Rumour (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - अफवाह
English Meaning - A circulating story of uncertain or doubtful truth.

4.Deboard (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - उतरना
English Meaning - To get off a vehicle, train, or aircraft.

5.Mow down (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - कुचल देना
English Meaning - To kill or knock down violently, often with a vehicle.

6.Promptly (Adverb)

Hindi Meaning - तुरंत, शीघ्र
English Meaning - Quickly and without delay.

7.Stampede (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - भगदड़
English Meaning - A sudden rush of animals or people due to panic.

8.Disengage (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - अलग करना
English Meaning - To separate or release from something.

9.Glance (Noun)

Hindi Meaning - नज़र, झलक
English Meaning - A brief or quick look.

10.Enhance (Verb)

Hindi Meaning - सुधारना, बढ़ाना
English Meaning - To improve the quality or value of something.

11.Logistical (Adjective)

English Meaning - Relating to the organization and planning of operations.

12.Spark (Verb)

English Meaning - To cause something to happen or ignite.