Probe blames rain for Mumbai stampede

An inquiry report on the September 29 Elphinstone bridge stampede in Mumbai that killed 23 people has blamed heavy rain, confusion and the resulting panic for the tragedy, officials said today.

The panel, headed by the Western Railway Chief Security Officer, submitted its report to the WR General Manager Anil Kumar today after recording statements of 30 commuters who were injured.

‘Rain havoc’

It has also examined video footage of the incident, officials said. According to the report, the stampede was caused by heavy rains which forced people outside the ticket counters to rush to the already jammed staircase for cover.

According to the report, the constant flow of passengers arriving at the station compounded the problem. The report said people with heavy luggage lost their balance because of which the stampede may have occurred. The probe also said none of the witnesses supported the claim of a short circuit on the bridge leading to the chaos.

The inquiry panel has recommended that passengers be prevented from carrying heavy luggage during peak hours. The movement of commuters, mainly vendors, carrying baskets stuffed with goods during peak hours should also be restricted, it said.

Booking office relocation

Other recommendations include relocating the elevated booking office to widen the staircase (the elevated booking office is adjacent to the staircase where the stampede occurred).

An additional staircase can also be provided, the panel said in the report. It has suggested that officials use a quick mode of communication apart from mobile phones to ensure timely reaction.

Wireless handsets can be provided to station and security staff, the report said.

On September 29, 23 people were killed in the rush hour stampede on a narrow overbridge linking Elphinstone Road and Parel suburban stations during heavy rain.

Panel to probe delay in tender

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal has formed a high-powered committee today to look into the 18-month delay in issuing tender for a foot overbridge (FOB) at the Elphinstone Road Station in Mumbai, where 23 people were killed in a stampede last month.

The two-member committee would inquire why it had taken 18 months after the project was cleared to issue the tender, railway spokesperson Anil Saxena told PTI.

The tender was incidentally floated on September 29, the day 23 people were killed in the stampede on the existing decades-old foot overbridge.

The panel will be headed by former Central Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha. Vinayak Chatterjee of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) will be its member.

“The committee has been given three months to submit its report,” Saxena said.

According to officials, the committee has also been asked to recommend ways to ensure that such delays do not occur again.

The 40-foot-wide overbridge was announced in the 2016 Railway Budget.

Goyal, while speaking at an event in Delhi, said that he was pained that despite the new foot overbridge being already approved, the tender was not floated on time.

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