Tragic Mumbai local railway station stampede that killed at least 22 people "was waiting to happen"
Very sad to know about this. Mumbai stampede: Today's tragedy was waiting to happen, say locals, http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/mumbai-stampede-todays-tragedy-was-waiting-to-happen-say-locals/articleshow/60885471.cms dated 29th Sept. 2017. The article reports that at least 22 people died in the stampede.
A small extract from it:
"Ever since new office buildings have come up in the area, the crowd has increased many times, but nothing has been done to improve the infrastructure at the station. Who is responsible for these deaths?" asked Tiwari, who lives nearby.
"This was waiting to happen. Such things can happen on other (railway) footbridges too," he said.
--- end extract ---
Ravi: I have experienced some scary overcrowding situations on Mumbai local railway platforms, on the bridges usually, but at times even on the station platform itself, during my suburban train commuting days in Mumbai and outlying areas. I have not experienced a stampede like this deadly one but quite a few times I have experienced just too much crowd in Railway stations like Dadar (CR) and (WR), Andheri (WR), Thane (CR) and Dombivli (CR) [CR -> Central Railway; WR -> Western Railway].
I can fully empathize with this article. Elphinstone Road and Parel were small railway stations during my Mumbai commuting days (till 2002). Many offices opening up near these stations and related increase in rail commuters to these stations would have put huge pressure on the small stations. Central and Western Railway suburban sections run at a loss typically and so I guess funds for expansion of such station infrastructure would have been scarce ... And so this tragic stampede happened as there was a downpour and people were crowded on the bridge taking shelter from the downpour.
I pray to God to shower His Grace on those who died, give strength to the families to bear the loss, and also shower His Grace on the injured and their families.
A small extract from it:
"Ever since new office buildings have come up in the area, the crowd has increased many times, but nothing has been done to improve the infrastructure at the station. Who is responsible for these deaths?" asked Tiwari, who lives nearby.
"This was waiting to happen. Such things can happen on other (railway) footbridges too," he said.
--- end extract ---
Ravi: I have experienced some scary overcrowding situations on Mumbai local railway platforms, on the bridges usually, but at times even on the station platform itself, during my suburban train commuting days in Mumbai and outlying areas. I have not experienced a stampede like this deadly one but quite a few times I have experienced just too much crowd in Railway stations like Dadar (CR) and (WR), Andheri (WR), Thane (CR) and Dombivli (CR) [CR -> Central Railway; WR -> Western Railway].
I can fully empathize with this article. Elphinstone Road and Parel were small railway stations during my Mumbai commuting days (till 2002). Many offices opening up near these stations and related increase in rail commuters to these stations would have put huge pressure on the small stations. Central and Western Railway suburban sections run at a loss typically and so I guess funds for expansion of such station infrastructure would have been scarce ... And so this tragic stampede happened as there was a downpour and people were crowded on the bridge taking shelter from the downpour.
I pray to God to shower His Grace on those who died, give strength to the families to bear the loss, and also shower His Grace on the injured and their families.
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