Summary:
THANE: Ignoring the red signal, two men on a scooter ducked under the barrier of the Diva railway level crossing and tried to beat an oncoming express train, but were crushed to death on Monday. A 2017 review of track-crossing deaths recorded 149 such incidents at Diva, and most of them were at the level crossing, said Central Railway officials.The Diva level crossing, which is opened 63 times a day, is a major hurdle on the CR's network, eating up nearly three hours of its time every day and delaying 300 services. Several bystanders and even the gateman raised an alarm, but by the time they could react, the express train hit Ramcharan and Angrez. Station officials rushed them to a nearby hospital, where they were declared dead.The Thane railway police have registered a case of accidental death.Following the incident, locals reiterated the demand for closure of the Diva level crossing and the construction of a road over-bridge at the spot. Natives of Basti district in Uttar Pradesh, they were living in a rented room in Diva..