Keyur Ramnik Savla, who fell from an overcrowded local train between Diva and Mumbra on June 6th, dreamt of making his 11-year-old daughter an engineer. But little did he know that he would lose his life before seeing the happiness of his daughter Nikita and hearing the words "Papa has arrived from work." His wife, Prachi (34), who is educated only till the 7th standard, was sobbing continuously, thinking about her daughter's future and the loans that need to be paid. "Daily, Keyur used to go from Dombivli to Kalyan and then from Kalyan to Dadar just to avoid overcrowding. But that day, he directly boarded the local from Dombivli and fell off," told his wife.
The Savla family lives in a 1 RK flat at Dombivli East. Keyur's mother, Prabhaben, has diabetes and constantly suffers from fatigue. "As soon as I got to know about the accident, I lost control. I can't believe that a train accident has taken the life of my son," Keyur's mother told LokmatTimes.com. Keyur's wife said, "I lost my support system. When I used to constantly tell him not to board the overcrowded locals, he sometimes used to skip 2 or 3 locals, but he had no option, like every common Mumbaikar. He used to call me daily after reaching his workplace in Dadar. On that day (June 6), I didn't receive the call, hence I immediately called his boss. Within some time, I got to know about the tragic accident."
Keyur Savla's Wife Over Train Accident
The family members informed that there were few chances of his survival, but the delay in the ambulance service made the situation worse. "He was taken to the nearby hospital from a tempo and not through an ambulance. Can you imagine how scary that is? Later, he was declared dead. For the post-mortem, we went to the Thane civil hospital, but there also we waited for 3 hours due to the unavailability of a doctor," said Keyur's family. They were disappointed as the 103 ambulance service didn't accept Keyur's body from the Thane civil hospital to their home in Dombivli. "They told us they take only injured people and not dead bodies. What is the use of such government services? If Diva is a junction, then why aren't crucial medical facilities available at the station?" asked the devastated family members.
Also Read | Mumbai: Man Falls From Overcrowded Local Train, Becomes 24th Victim in Thane-Diva Area In 2024.
The family has been the victim of a similar tragic accident when they lost their relative, a 22-year-old girl named Charmi Pasad, after falling off the 9.25 Karjat fast local in December 2019. The victim, who boarded the train at Dombivali, was on her way to work when she fell from the train near Kopar station. Charmi's brother Mehul told LokmatTimes.com, "Keyur is my relative, and I have lost my sister in a similar incident. Even after frequent deaths happening, the railway administration is doing nothing. Why aren't they inspecting the curve between Diva and Mumbra, which is resulting in such fatal accidents?"
Railway police stated that this incident marks the 24th death of a commuter falling from a train between Thane and Diva since January 2024. "I have seen the blood on his face. His figure was cut, and his clothes were torn as he fell off from the train. I am still recovering from the pain. My daughter is constantly asking me when Papa will come back. What should I answer her?" asked Keyur's wife Prachi.
What Are the Demands of the Family?
- Increase the frequency of locals starting from Dombivli to CSMT during peak hours.
- Decrease the fare of AC local trains and make it affordable for all.
- Availability of crucial medical facilities at all railway stations.
- Railway compensation given to family members should be increased.