Kathmandu [Nepal], January 24 : Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday confirmed seven Nepali nationals among the 12 killed in the Jalgaon train accident in Maharashtra.
Issuing a press release, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the death of 3 females and 4 males in the train mishap of Wednesday evening.
Majority of the deceased are from Nepal's Accham District (4) who are identified as Himu Nandaram Bishwokarma (11), Nandaram Padma Bishwokarma (44), Maisara Kami Bishwokarma (42) and Kama Kami (60). Kamala Nabin Bhandari (43) and Lachiram Pasi (40) from Kailali and Radheshyam Radh (32) from Banke are confirmed amongst the casualties.
Some passengers of the Pushpak Express--which was bound for Mumbai from Lucknow--jumped off the train after an alarm chain-pulling incident. They were then run over by the Karnataka Express on an adjacent track in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district on Wednesday evening.
"Out of the 4 Nepali injured in the accident 3 are being treated in a local hospital while one with serious injury is being treated in Godawari Hospital, Jalgaon," the release states.
As per the Ministry, the Nepal Embassy in New Delhi, India is in close coordination with Indian authorities to bring the mortal remains of the deceased back to Nepal to hand over to the families.
"Coordination for the treatment of those injured also is being made through the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu," the release stated further.
After Wednesday's incident, the Railway Board of India has released Rs 1,50,000 as immediate aid for the families of the deceased. Similarly, the Maharashtra government also has announced financial assistance of INR 5,00,000 to each bereaved family.
As per the officials from Nepal's Foreign Ministry, family members of those deceased who are in India have been contacted and informed about the incident.
India has been a major employment destination for Nepalese living in the Sudurpaschim (Far-Western) Province of Nepal.
The 2021 census by the National Statistics Office shows that Sudurpaschim Province has the lowest labour force participation rate (27.3 per cent) in the province-wise labour market index, which is 20 per cent less than the ranking of Bagmati province (47.1), the province with the highest rate. The employment participation rate based on the population, at 24.1 per cent, is also the lowest in Sudurpaschim.