Kota mudslide kills 2 railway engineers during underpass work
Synopsis
Two railway engineers died after a sudden mudslide buried them during underpass construction in Kota's Dara Valley — the latest in a string of infrastructure safety failures in Rajasthan. The Delhi–Mumbai rail corridor was placed under speed restrictions, and the site shut down, as authorities launched an inquiry into whether basic excavation safety norms were followed.
Key Takeaways
Section Engineer Sanjay Kumar Jha and Junior Engineer Prabhat Singh were killed in a mudslide on Thursday night, 29 May 2025 in Kota, Rajasthan .
The collapse occurred around 8 pm during block-pushing work on the down line of the Delhi–Mumbai railway route in Dara Valley .
Soil beneath the track gave way during excavation for cement box structures as part of an underpass construction project.
Railway traffic on the Delhi–Mumbai route was restricted to below 30 km per hour following the incident.
The underpass was closed from both sides and construction work suspended pending investigation.
The incident follows the recent death of a retired school principal who fell into an open drain, highlighting a pattern of safety lapses in Rajasthan's infrastructure projects.
Two railway engineers were killed on Thursday night after a sudden mudslide buried them under debris during underpass construction work in Kota district, Rajasthan. The accident occurred around 8 pm at the Dara Valley site on the Kota–Jhalawar Highway, where block-pushing work was underway on the down line of the Delhi–Mumbai railway route.
How the Accident Unfolded
According to railway officials, soil beneath the track suddenly gave way during excavation work for the installation of large cement box structures as part of the underpass construction project. Section Engineer (CWI) Sanjay Kumar Jha and Junior Engineer Prabhat Singh were trapped under the collapsing mud, triggering panic among workers at the site.
Workers and rescue personnel immediately launched efforts to pull the two men from the debris and rushed them to a private hospital in Kota. Sanjay Kumar Jha was declared dead on arrival, while Prabhat Singh, who was administered CPR, succumbed to his injuries during treatment. Both bodies were subsequently shifted to the MBS Hospital mortuary for post-mortem examination.
Official Response and Site Inspection
Senior railway, police, and administrative officials rushed to the site following the incident. Rural SP Sujit Shankar, Rural ASP Ram Kalyan Meena, DSP Ghanshyam Meena, along with local administrative officers and police personnel, inspected the area and reviewed relief and security arrangements, remaining at the site until late at night.
As a precautionary measure, the underpass was closed from both sides while authorities investigate the cause of the collapse. Construction work was temporarily suspended following the tragedy.
Impact on Railway Operations
Railway traffic on both the up and down lines of the Delhi–Mumbai route was operated at restricted speeds of below 30 km per hour following the incident. The route is one of India's busiest rail corridors, making any disruption operationally significant.
A Pattern of Safety Failures
The Kota tragedy comes just days after a school principal who had retired only two months ago died after falling into an open drain, raising fresh questions about safety oversight in ongoing civic and infrastructure projects in Rajasthan. Notably, this is the latest in a series of construction-site fatalities that have drawn scrutiny over worker safety protocols in the state's infrastructure push. Critics argue that adequate shoring, soil testing, and night-work safety procedures must be enforced more rigorously on projects of this scale.
Authorities are expected to conduct a formal inquiry into the mudslide, with findings likely to determine whether standard excavation protocols were followed at the Dara Valley site.
Point of View
At night, without apparently adequate safeguards, demands more than a routine inquiry. Rajasthan has now recorded multiple infrastructure-related fatalities within days of each other, suggesting a systemic gap in on-site safety enforcement rather than isolated lapses. The speed restrictions on the Delhi–Mumbai route are a short-term fix; the harder question is why these standards were not in place before work began.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened in the Kota mudslide accident?
Two railway engineers — Section Engineer Sanjay Kumar Jha and Junior Engineer Prabhat Singh — were killed after soil beneath the track suddenly collapsed during underpass construction in Dara Valley, Kota, on Thursday night around 8 pm. Both were buried under mud and debris and later declared dead at hospital.
Where exactly did the Kota railway accident occur?
The accident occurred at the Dara Valley area on the Kota–Jhalawar Highway in Kota district, Rajasthan, where construction of a railway underpass was underway on the Delhi–Mumbai route.
What was the impact on train services after the mudslide?
Railway traffic on both the up and down lines of the Delhi–Mumbai route was operated at restricted speeds of below 30 km per hour following the incident. The underpass was also closed from both sides as a precautionary measure.
Who are the officials investigating the Kota mudslide?
Rural SP Sujit Shankar, Rural ASP Ram Kalyan Meena, and DSP Ghanshyam Meena, along with senior railway and administrative officials, inspected the site and reviewed relief arrangements. A formal inquiry into the cause of the collapse is underway.
Is this part of a wider safety concern in Rajasthan?
Yes, the incident follows the recent death of a retired school principal who fell into an open drain just days earlier, raising broader concerns about safety oversight in civic and infrastructure projects across Rajasthan.
