Bandra station stampede: Viral CCTV footage shows passengers in mad scramble to board express train
Mumbai (PTI): A CCTV footage has surfaced on social media showing passengers crowding and jostling to board an unreserved express train at Bandra Terminus, which led to a stampede that left ten persons injured.
The footage, purportedly from a CCTV camera on the north end of platform no. 1 at Bandra Terminus, shows the chaos that ensued when the 22-coach unreserved Bandra-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express arrived from the railway yard around 2.44 am on Sunday.
As a large number of passengers attempted to board the unreserved train, some lost their footing and fell, causing a stampede that left several injured.
However, the CCTV footage, which has gone viral on social media, does not show the stampede, as it may have taken place on the other end of the platform.
The WR is operating more than 130 festival special trains for various destinations, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, for the upcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals.
While the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's disaster management cell said ten passengers were injured in the incident in the early hours of Sunday, the Western Railway's official statement claimed only two were hurt.
In the footage, passengers with bags and belongings on their heads and shoulders are seen crowding around the train's doors. Some even carrying small drums blocked the entrance, with barely anyone getting to board the train.
It also shows passengers trying to board the train before it comes to a complete halt, while some are seen attempting to enter through an emergency exit window.
In the footage from the CCTV camera, which covered only a couple of coaches, one RPF personnel is seen trying to deal with the crowd near the second coach from the engine, but a few more personnel later arrived, pushing through the crowd to help him.
In the viral footage, no one managed to enter the packed train.
Multiple videos of the incident circulated on social media on Sunday, one of which showed an injured passenger lying in a pool of blood on the platform as others continued boarding.
Another footage showed RPF personnel rushing injured passengers to the hospital with the help of others on the platform.
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Heavy rain, hailstorms lash parts of Uttarakhand; all districts put on high alert
Dehradun (PTI): Heavy rain and hailstorms accompanied by strong winds lashed several districts of Uttarakhand on Sunday morning, prompting the state administration to put all district authorities on high alert.
The sudden change in weather caused uprooted trees to block roads and disrupted power supply at various locations.
Disaster Management and Rehabilitation Secretary Vinod Kumar Suman chaired a review meeting with district officials to assess the situation.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast light to moderate rain and thunderstorms at most places across all districts for Monday and Tuesday. Snowfall is expected in regions situated at altitudes of 4,000 metres and above.
An 'orange alert' remains in place for Dehradun, Haridwar, Tehri, Pauri, Nainital, Champawat, and Udham Singh Nagar. These districts are likely to witness isolated heavy rain, hailstorms, and intense to very intense spells of rain accompanied by gusty winds reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph, the IMD said.
The weather office predicted that maximum temperatures across the state are likely to fall by 3-5 degrees Celsius over the next three to four days. During the past 24 hours, maximum temperatures remained "markedly below normal" in the plains and ranged from "markedly" to "appreciably" below normal in the hilly regions.
Dehradun experienced dark, overcast skies early Sunday, creating night-like conditions during morning hours. The city recorded a maximum temperature of 34.7 degrees Celsius, 5.3 degrees Celsius below the seasonal average.
For the state capital, the forecast predicts a partly to generally cloudy sky with a high of 31 degrees Celsius and a low of 19 degrees Celsius.
Significant rainfall was recorded across the state after 8.30 am on Sunday, with Jollygrant receiving 21.6 mm and Mohakampur recording 19.8 mm. Other areas, including Mukteshwar (15.0 mm), Mussoorie (13.4 mm), and Pithoragarh (8.5 mm), also saw measurable precipitation.
Secretary Suman directed officials to clear blocked roads on priority to ensure public convenience. Specific instructions were issued regarding the Char Dham Yatra, ordering that helicopter services must operate strictly according to weather conditions to ensure pilgrims' safety.
Isolated places in the remaining hilly districts are also expected to experience thunderstorms with lightning and intense rain spells.
