Surat: A youth was killed while two others were injured in a stampede on a train at the Surat railway station in Gujarat on Saturday, officials said. An official said that the stampede took place when thousands of travelers headed to their homes for the festive season jostled for a seat in the Tapi Ganga Express going from Surat to Chhapra at Surat Railway Platform No. 4 today morning.
In the stampede, five passengers were injured of whom one was critically injured and was taken to the hospital by 108 where he succumbed to his injuries. The deceased has been identified as Ankit Virendra Singh, a residnet of Bihar who was heading home for Chhath Puja. Two other passengers were injured in the incident.
Also read: 10 devotees injured in Puri Jagannath Temple stampede in Odisha
When the health of the pilgrims deteriorated, RPF and GRPF personnel immediately reached there and the victims were given CPR. Sources said that the Surat Railway Station has been witnessing huge rush of passengers with more than 5,000 passengers seen standing for 1700 seats at the railway station daily on an average.
ETV Bharat had recently carried a special report over the huge rush of passengers at the railway station. Minister of State for Railways Darshanaben Jardosh himself hails from Surat with the accident seen as a setback for his ministry. Meanwhile, Chief Public Relations Officer Sumit Thakor said that in view of the Tahawar season, Western Railways has started 46 trains for the states including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh.
He said that more than 7 lakh passengers are being benefited through the trains. In view of the crowd, special arrangements have been made in Surat and especially at Udhna railway station while around 165 RPF and GRPF personnel are deployed at Surat railway station, he added.
