New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI): Nearly 50,000 people have lost their lives in the last three years on railway tracks after being hit by trains, Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain informed the Lok Sabha on Wednesday. He said 49,790 deaths were reported between 2015-2017.

Deaths on railway tracks occur due to trespassing, violating safety and cautionary instructions, avoiding over bridges, using mobile phones and other electronic gadgets while crossing railway tracks, Gohain said.

The minister said the railways had taken corrective measures like regular announcements through passenger address system at stations urging passengers to use foot over bridges (FOBs), awareness drives against trespassing were conducted, construction of boundary walls, warning signs were erected to prevent accidental deaths on railway tracks.

Unauthorised trespassing on railway premises, including the track, is a punishable offence under Section 147 of the Railways Act, 1989. During 2017, a total of 173112 people were prosecuted for trespassing.

Most of the cases were reported from the Northern Railway with 7908 deaths, followed by 6149 deaths in the Southern Railway and 5670 deaths in the Eastern Railway, Gohain said.