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Rly panel blames rains, rumours for stampede

While no CCTV cameras cover the staircase where the stampede occurred, the committee analysed footage from three CCTV cameras

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Amidst the massive public outcry over narrow and encroached foot-over-bridges (FOBs) and at the apathy of the Railways, a five-member committee probing the causes of the Elphinstone Road station stampede, in which 23 people were killed, has absolved railway officials of any blame for the tragedy.

The panel headed by Western Railway (WR) Chief Security Officer S K Singla has, instead, blamed sudden rains and rumours of a 'bridge collapse' for the stampede in its enquiry report.

The report, which has been submitted to Western Railway General Manager Anil Kumar Gupta, includes statements of 30 people who were stuck in the crowd, railway staff such as the station master and ticket booking staff, and RPF and GRP personnel who were present at the station when the tragedy occurred.

While no CCTV cameras cover the staircase where the stampede occurred, the committee analysed footage from three CCTV cameras. One of these covers the main pathway of the FOB, which recorded footage of people coming from Parel station towards Elphinstone Road station. The second camera covered another staircase of the same FOB in the opposite direction, and the footage recorded is of commuters struggling to get down from the stairs. The third camera has footage of the railway platform. The report includes minute-by-minute details of the entire incident.

Sources say no crowding was seen on the FOB till 9.45 am, only three or four queues of people were seen. By 9.50 am, the crowd slowly began to swell; it had begun to rain around this time.

At around 10 am, the FOB was completely crowded, with many people standing on the sides of the bridge. People were waiting on the platform to climb the stairs as the trains came one after the other.

"It seems that the stampede occurred between 10.10 am and 10.25 am. At one point of time, it is seen that there is no movement on the FOB and people are seen clicking pictures with their cameras pointing towards the staircase where the stampede occurred," says a WR official.

People are also seen pushing one another, and struggling to stand -- both near the staircase leading to the FOB and on the pathway of the FOB. It was around this time when people standing on the platforms, waiting to take the stairs, started clicking videos and were seen shouting and gesturing to people on the pathway to move back. Some of them also jumped on the tracks towards the FOB landing.

By 10.27 am, there was some movement on the staircase on the opposite side. The committee members assume that the stampede had taken place by then. At around 10.35 am, there was free movement on the FOB once again.

An important conclusion of the panel is that flower vendors carrying huge sack of flowers were responsible for blocking easy access. The stampede took place a day before Dussehra and these vendors were headed to the Dadar flower market.

"The committee has recommended that flower vendors not be allowed to enter rail premises during peak hours, especially during festive season," said Ravindra Bhakar, Chief PRO, Western Railway.

The panel stated that the situation got further aggravated when one bundle of flowers fell from a vendor, followed by someone shouting "Majha phool padla (my flowers have fallen)". Some commuters mistook the word "phool" for "pul (bridge)", and this may have triggered panic and led to the stampede, the panel has stated.

The committee also recommended certain long term measures for which the BMC and Railways will work together. Skywalks and FOBs will be interconnected so that people can be easily carried out of rail premises. The BMC will even part with land for this, so that landings can be located outside the railway premises.

COMMITTEE SAYS

  • Flower vendors, carrying sacks of flowers, blocked easy access. It was the day before Dussehra and they were headed to Dadar flower market
     
  • A bundle of flowers fell and someone shouted “Majha phool padla (my flowers have fallen)”. Someone mistook “phool” for “pul (bridge)”, and this triggered panic
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