Bandra Terminus stampede: Crowd-control stepped up, probe initiated into mishap

Among the crowd-control measures initiated by the railway are restrictions on the sale of platform tickets at select major stations on the Mumbai Division

A series of crowd-control measures has been put in place at railway terminuses across Mumbai, in the aftermath of the stampede at the Bandra-Kurla Terminus on Sunday morning. An investigation has also been initiated into the tragedy by the Government Railway Police (GRP), which is scanning CCTV footage to determine what exactly happened when the Antyodaya Express pulled into platform 1 at 2.45 am and passengers rushed to board the Gorakhpur-bound train.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is using barricades and ropes to regulate the crowds at stations that cater to long-distance trains. (Satish Bate/ Hindustan Times)

The Western Railway (WR) said there was a four-fold increase in passengers headed home during the Diwali and Chhath Puja festivities, stating that they rushed towards the train and attempted to board it even before the train came to a halt. The doors were still locked, as is standard practice before a train halts, but passengers were still attempting to get inside, according to the railway.

Among the crowd-control measures initiated by the railway are restrictions on the sale of platform tickets at select major stations on the Mumbai Division. This is effective immediately until November 8, said Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer, WR.

Ticket checkers at the entrance to the stations will step up vigilance to bar ticketless travellers from entering. The railway has also opened additional ticket counters and increased the number of shifts of its staff.

In the aftermath of a stampede at Surat station on November 11 last year, permanent holding areas have been set up at Udhna and Surat stations on the Mumbai Division of the railway, replacing the temporary structures used last year. Additionally, a new waiting area has been created near Platform 4 at Surat station.

In addition, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) is using barricades and ropes to regulate the crowds at stations that cater to long-distance trains.

Niraj Verma, Divisional Railway Manager (Mumbai) of the Western Railway, said they had sold 2,540 tickets for the Antyodaya Express for the 2,000-odd seats available. “This year, we are operating 66 festival special trains between October 9 and November 8 for Navratri, Diwali and Chhath Puja. This includes 17 festival specials to Gorakhpur. Last year, we ran 29 festival specials, of which there was only one to Gorakhpur. We decided to increase the trains to Gorakhpur after looking at the ticket sales,” said Verma.

Meanwhile, the Government Railway Police (GRP), which is conducting an investigation into Sunday’s tragedy, is scanning CCTV footage to determine how and where the stampede began. By piecing together the sequence of events, they hope to establish whether there was any negligence on the part of the railways.

The GRP is recording the statements of police officers present on the platform when the incident occurred, as well the statements of passengers. There were 11 GRP officers and five Home Guards stationed at the Bandra Terminus on Sunday morning.

Manoj Patil, Deputy Commissioner of Police (GRP), placed the onus on a build-up of passengers, which caused the crowd to spin out of control. He said that since the Antyodaya Express takes passengers without reservations, passengers turn up in large numbers. All they need to do is buy tickets in order to board the train.

Besides, he said, the Antyodaya Express leaves the terminus every Sunday after another Gorakhpur-bound train leaves a few hours earlier. However, on this Sunday, the earlier train was delayed by 16 hours. Since these trains don’t need reservations, passengers from the earlier train may have rushed to board the Antyodaya Express, leading to over-crowding on platform 1.

Patil also claimed the Antyodaya Express, which pulls into the station three hours before departure, had arrived just one hour before departure on Sunday, leading to further crowding. “Usually, there is sufficient time for passengers to board the train and get settled. On Sunday, since the train was late, hundreds had gathered on the platform,” Patil said.

The Western Railway, however, maintains that the Antyodaya Express had arrived from the yard at 2.45 am, more than two hours before departure, giving travellers sufficient time to board and settle in.

Patil added that as the train approached the platform, passengers leapt towards it as it slowed. “They opened the doors and began jumping inside; some men even tried to enter through the emergency windows, causing chaos,” he said. The Western Railway, however, maintains that the doors were locked and opened only after the train comes to a halt.

Patil said the GRP has filed an incident report. “Anticipating a surge in passengers for other special trains during the Diwali vacation, we will be increasing security measures at other terminuses as well.”