Kunal Kamra claims nearly 22,000 rail deaths in 2023; Railways “fact check” confirms 21,803
Netizens claim Railways’ response is not fact check, but ‘double verification’
New Delhi: Indian Railways’ social media fact-check account has responded to comedian Kunal Kamra’s claim in a viral video that nearly 22,000 people died in rail accidents in 2023, confirming the official figure as 21,803 and sparking widespread online trolling.
"Certain facts and footage in this video are misleading in nature and is an attempt to sabotage the image of Railways. Kindly refrain from sharing such misleading content," the Railways said in a post on X, attaching the comedian's pictures.
Kamra sought clarification on the reply, asking the Railways to point out the factual errors in his video. The subsequent response from the PSU provided detailed clarifications, leaving netizens surprised.
Kamra had claimed there were nearly 25,000 railway accidents in 2023, but the Railways clarified that the actual figure was 24,678 accidents. On his claim of nearly 22,000 deaths, the Railways confirmed the official count was 21,803 deaths for the year.
The post attracted widespread attention on social media, with users both trolling and debating the “fact check”. One user commented, “This is not fact check, this is double verification,” while another joked, “Are you dumb?” Others questioned the approximation, asking, “What is this fact check? Do you understand approximate?”
The Railways also addressed Kamra’s other claims. Regarding overworked loco-pilots with frequent night shifts, the Railways said the HOER law prescribes rest periods and working hours for them. Kamra’s statement that 400 track maintainers die annually was refuted, with the Railways clarifying that this figure is cumulative over several years and includes unrelated deaths.
On Kamra’s claims of numerous accidents due to signal failures, the Railways highlighted that there were 1,711 such incidents between 2004 and 2014, which fell drastically to 34 in 2023 and 10 so far this year. Signal failure details, it noted, are publicly available.
Refer to the details in the video for the correct facts.#IRFactCheck https://t.co/hdsfn2Wv3k pic.twitter.com/zYBW7SHiLC
— Railway Fact Check (@IRFactCheck) November 20, 2025
What? Are you defending or proving that what Kunal said was right? pic.twitter.com/DyIl0sSl5W
— Mayur Jadhav (@mayurjadhavpage) November 20, 2025
This not fact check, this double verification of claim 😂😂😂
— Galactus (@Galactsx) November 20, 2025
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Curfew relaxed in Meghalaya's Garo Hills to allow people to buy essential items
Tura (Meghalaya) (PTI): The total curfew imposed in Meghalaya's East and West Garo Hills districts was relaxed on Thursday to allow people to procure essential items, officials said.
The curfew in East Garo Hills was relaxed for five hours from 8 am to 1 pm, while in West Garo Hills, it was relaxed for two hours from 2 pm to 4 pm.
The district administrations said the relaxation was allowed to enable residents to procure essential commodities.
The curfew was imposed in the two districts under Section 163 of the BNSS after violence erupted in West Garo Hills during protests linked to the elections to the Garo Hills Autonomous District Council (GHADC), with demonstrators opposing the participation of non-Garo communities in the filing of nominations for the polls.
Two persons were killed and several others injured when police opened fire to disperse a mob during clashes in the Chibinang area on Tuesday, officials said.
The unrest has led to incidents of arson and damage to property in parts of the Garo Hills region, prompting authorities to deploy additional security forces, including five columns of the Army -- three in Tura town and two in Chibinang -- to restore order.
The chief minister visited Tura on Thursday, during which he reviewed the security situation and held meetings with the West Garo Hills deputy commissioner, as well as senior officers of the Army and the Rapid Action Force (RAF).
Sangma also interacted with local residents and visited several sites damaged during the violence, including burnt shops, destroyed roadside market sheds and the office of the National People's Party (NPP), which was partially damaged due to arson.
In a video statement, the chief minister described the vandalism and arson targeting the party office as unfortunate and assured people that those responsible would face strict action under the law.
He said the party would rebuild the damaged office and would continue to strengthen its organisation, asserting that the NPP "lives in the hearts of the people" and cannot be weakened by such attacks.
In the wake of the violence, Sangma on Wednesday announced the postponement of the GHADC elections that were scheduled to be held on April 10.
The state government has also suspended mobile internet services across five districts of the Garo Hills region as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of rumours and maintain law and order, officials added.
