New Delhi:

Days after a stampede at Mumbai’s Bandra Terminus railway station left 10 people injured, CCTV footage shows passengers jostling to board an unreserved train just moments before, causing complete chaos on the platform.

The stampede took place when large crowds tried to board the 22-coach unreserved Bandra-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express, which arrived from the railway yard around 2.44 am on Sunday. Such crowds are a common sight during the festive season.

The security footage, purportedly from a CCTV camera on the north end of platform no 1 at Bandra Terminus, showed many passengers losing their footing while trying to board the train. It also shows a crush of passengers trying to enter the train before it comes to a complete halt; some are seen trying to squeeze in through an emergency exit window. The visuals do not show the stampede.

The Western Railway is operating more than 130 festival special trains for various destinations, especially Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, for the upcoming Diwali and Chhath festivals.

Platform ticket sales have been restricted at Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra Terminus, Borivali, Vasai Road, Vapi, Valsad, Udhna, and Surat stations in the Mumbai Division to reduce platform crowding and ensure smooth passenger movement.

The Northern Railways urged passengers to arrive at least an hour before their train’s scheduled departure to avoid last-minute congestion and ensure a smooth boarding process.

Mumbai/New Delhi:

Nine people were injured today in a stampede at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai when passengers tried to board the train heading toward Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh.

The condition of seven people is stable while two have suffered critical injuries. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said the stampede occurred due to the festive rush before Diwali. 

Train number 22921 from Bandra to Gorakhpur came at platform number 1 of the station and a large number of passengers gathered at the platform to board the rush. Sources told NDTV that the train the weekly train the Gorakhpur was re-scheduled and had to depart at 5:10 am. But after it was re-scheduled the train arrived late at the platform. Around 3 am, a huge rush was seen at the platform and passengers tried to board the general compartment of the train which led to a stampede.

The Gorakhpur Express is an unreserved train and over 1,000 passengers had arrived to board the 22-bogey train. Some passengers tried to board the coaches while the train was still in motion because of which two passengers were injured.

Visuals showed blood on the floor and injured being taken on stretchers by Railway Police personnel and other passengers. 

A video showed a Railway cop taking an injured passenger on his shoulder. Another video showed two men lying on the floor with blood stains on their clothes. Two people came running with a stretcher and took the man out.  There were over 50 police personnel present at Platform 1 to manage the crowd.

In the background, five people were escorting an injured out of the station, with a large cloth acting as a stretcher. 

A man was also seen sitting on a bench, with his shirt torn off, and looked visibly in pain. 

The BMC said in an update said the situation is under control at the terminus and the injured have been taken to Bhabha Hospital.

A passenger suffered a spinal fracture and a few passengers had fractures in their leg. Meanwhile, two injured have been discharged from the hospital, sources said.