DMRC launches inquiry into woman’s death at Metro station in Delhi

DMRC said any possible shortcomings will come to light once the inquiry is complete, following which corrective measures will be taken.

A day after a 35-year-old woman died of severe brain and chest injuries she suffered after her sari got stuck in the door of a Metro coach at the Inderlok station and she fell on to the tracks, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said it was awaiting the findings of an inquiry into the incident conducted by a Commissioner of the Metro Railway Safety (CMRS), officials aware of the matter said on Sunday.

The incident took place on Thursday, when the woman, Reena Devi, fell onto the tracks after being dragged for a few metres. (HT Photo)

DMRC said any possible shortcomings will come to light once the inquiry is complete, following which corrective measures will be taken. CCTV footage of the incident will also be analysed by CMRS, officials said.

“What actually happened will become clear once the CMRS inquiry is completed. Something like this has not happened in the past. So, any preventive or corrective action can only be taken after the real reasons are identified,” a DMRC spokesperson said, adding that no immediate changes have been made yet.

The incident took place on Thursday, when the woman, Reena Devi, 35, fell onto the tracks after her sari got stuck in the doors of the Metro coach, and she was dragged for several metres along the platform.

A single mother, she is survived by two children — a 10-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter — and used to sell vegetables. Her husband had died around eight years ago, police said.

DMRC said a number of safety features, including safety mechanism in doors that gets activated when encountering any obstruction, are already in place. “The doors will automatically open and attempt to close thrice. If the closing process fails after three attempts, the doors will remain open, and manual intervention will be required from the station controller or train operator to close them,” an official said. Regular announcements are also made at stations for passengers to take care of loose items, including bags, dupattas, saris and dhotis, the official said.

“It is unclear whether the system failed,” the official added.

DMRC also has passenger emergency alarm (PEA) buttons inside the coaches to alert the train operator regarding any possible incidents. In phase 3, DMRC also introduced platform screen doors (PSDs) on the Pink and Magenta lines, along with six Metro stations on the Yellow line. This includes the busy Rajiv Chowk Metro station, where crowding on the platform would often put passengers at risk of coming in contact with an incoming train. The other Yellow Line stations are Kashmere Gate, Chandni Chowk, Chawri Bazar, New Delhi and Central Secretariat.

The official further said trains also undergo daily, weekly and other mandatory periodic maintenance checks, only after which they are sent for the day’s service.

Meanwhile on Sunday afternoon, a large number of people, including family members, relatives and neighbours of the woman, gathered on Rohtak Road and staged a protest, demanding quick legal action and compensation.

The protesters sat on the carriageway from Mundka towards Peeragarhi and blocked the movement of vehicles, leading to a chaos on one of the busiest stretches of the city. Long traffic snarls were reported from the area for nearly an hour. The Delhi Traffic Police also issued an alert on social media, regarding the road blockade. The protesters were dispersed after senior police officers assured the aggrieved family of quick action.

Jimmy Chiram, deputy commissioner of police (outer), said that nearly 150 family members and friends of the victim protested on the Rohtak Road near Mundka Metro station, that disrupted traffic movement for about an hour. “They left in about 25 minutes. The protest was peaceful,” the DCP added.