Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
In the early hours of Sunday morning, Bandra Terminus, a bustling hub of Western Railway, became the site of a chaotic and dangerous scene. The rush to board the unreserved 22921 Bandra-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express left nine people injured, with social media soon flooded by harrowing videos capturing the chaos.
It was around 2:45 a.m. when the unreserved train moved towards platform 1 from the Bandra Terminus yard. Eager to return to their native places for Diwali and Chhath Puja, passengers surged toward the moving train, desperate for a seat. Videos circulated on social media showed passengers running, shouting, and, for some, suffering painful injuries as they attempted to board the still-moving train.
In one particularly disturbing video, a man with visible wounds sat on the platform, blood oozing from his injuries, while another lay next to him, equally hurt. Even as a passenger with a leg injury lay by the door, some people continued to force their way onto the train, creating a chilling scene of disregard and desperation.
Railway Protection Force personnel were quickly seen in action, with one constable carrying an injured passenger on his shoulder, while another officer improvised a cloth stretcher to help transport the wounded to the hospital. As the crowd pressed on, local residents and other commuters joined in to help the injured, offering support amid the pandemonium.
In the wake of the incident, Western Railway issued a reminder to the public, urging passengers not to board or alight from moving trains. "It is dangerous," they cautioned, reminding the public of the life-threatening risks involved in such actions.
The incident sparked a heated reaction from Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, who criticised Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, accusing him of neglecting Mumbai's passengers. "Mumbai city gives maximum revenue to the Union government. Compared to it, we hardly get any facilities here for passengers," Raut stated, pointing to the disparity between Mumbai’s contributions and the facilities it receives.
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Aaditya Thackeray wrote on twitter, "Wish the reel minister was a rail minister for once. The incident at Bandra only reflects how incapable the current Railways Minister is. The bjp has made Ashwini Vaishnav ji, a prabhari for bjp Maharashtra for elections, but every week there are some incidents and accidents that occur with the railways. Such a shame that our country has been forced under such incapable ministers."
