RPF saved 62 lives from Jan till Sept on Central Line

Mumbai: In the last nine months, the alertness of Railway Protection Force (RPF) has saved the lives of 62 people on the Central Line

Mumbai: In the last nine months, the alertness of Railway Protection Force (RPF) has saved the lives of 62 people on the Central Line. Such accidents occur mostly when passengers fall while boarding or alighting trains; some were saved while attempting suicide.

RPF saved 62 lives from Jan till Sept on Central Line

This is a part of RPFs round the clock vigil in safeguarding railway properties and the lives of passengers while on duty.

Among these 62 incidents, 24 have occurred in the Mumbai division. Two recent incidents occurred when passengers fell in the gap between the platform and the train. On September 25, RPF Ramdas Ghuge saved the life of Sulochana Padki, 50, who was alighting from a passenger train at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus when the train started moving and Padki fell onto the gap. Ghuge very promptly pulled Padki out and saved her life.

Similarly, on September 24, at around 8:54am at Kalyan station RPF personnel, K C Meena noticed a 33-year-old man losing balance and falling from the footboard of a passenger train at platform number 4. Meena pulled out the passenger just before slipping between the train and the platform gap. The victim did not have any injuries.

“There are diverse security challenges such as crime against passengers and railway properties, extremist violence, obstruction to train movement, rescuing missing children and seizing narcotics in trains and railway premises, retrieving of passengers’ luggage etc. Amidst all this the RPF keep a close watch on the safety of passengers too,” said an RPF officer from Central Railway.

“Although during training all RPF officers are taught to prioritise the life of passengers, this is also an act of humanity. Moreover, the presence of mind and the promptness of the officials during such situations is commendable,” said a senior RPF officer from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus.

From January to September there have been 1168 accidental deaths and 845 casualties reported on Central Railway overall.

Among 62 life-saving incidents, 14 cases are registered in the Nagpur division, 12 cases in the Pune division, 8 cases in the Bhusaval division and 4 cases of lifesaving incidents are registered with the Solapur division.