A stampede incident took place on Sunday early morning at Mumbai Bandra Railway Station Terminus which resulted in 9 passengers getting injured, while two are reported to be in critical condition. The stampede started around
2:45 am on Platform No. 1 when unreserved 22921 Bandra-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express reportedly started moving to Platform No. 1 from Bandra Terminus yard. People were in a hurry to board the train which was scheduled to depart at 5:10 a.m. creating a chaotic scene.
The Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer, Vineet Abhishek, stated, “Around 2:30 a.m., the train was moved from the yard to the platform. Just as it was about to arrive, two passengers tried to board, which caused the initial crush. Our team responded immediately, summoning ambulances and transferring injured individuals to Bhabha Hospital.” Usually during Diwali holidays several people travel, which led to many people gathering at the station. Watch the video here:
Several videos from the scene got viral on the Internet which shows injured passengers lying on the platform floor, their clothing stained with blood, while Railway Police and other passengers were seen helping the injured, taking them onto stretchers. In the same video, another man can be seen sitting on a bench, visibly energy less, his shirt torn amidst the commotion. In another video, a Railway officer was seen carrying an injured man on his shoulder.
STORY | 9 persons injured in stampede at Mumbai's Bandra railway station
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VIDEO:
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/LIBuwJkniS— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 27, 2024
Among the injured, two passengers, Indrajith Sahani (19) and Noor Mohammad Shaikh (18), are in critical condition. The other injured individuals are reported to be stable and include Shabbir Abdul Rehman (40), Parmeshwar Sukhdar Gupta (28), Ravindra Harihar Chuma (30), Ramsevak Ravindra Prasad Prajapati (29), Sanjay Tilakram Kangay (27), Divyanshu Yogendra Yadav (18), and Mohammad Shareef Shaikh (25).
The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC)’s Disaster Management Cell confirmed that the injured were admitted to Bhabha Hospital, where medical personnel are attending to them. The BMC indicated that the festival rush ahead of Diwali contributed significantly to the crowd pressure at the station, which ultimately led to the incident.
An eyewitness talking about the incident said
“It was terrifying. As the Bandra-Gorakhpur train approached, people rushed to secure a place in the general coaches. Within moments, the crowd surged, and the station’s capacity was overwhelmed.”
The railway authorities have launched an investigation to determine if safety protocols were followed or not and are reviewing footage to understand the order of events. Investigation is underway to explore measures to prevent similar incidents, especially during the high-traffic holiday season. Further updates are expected as the situation develops.