10-04-2007, 04:29 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Â A bad hair day for railways </b>
Pioneer News Service | Varanasi
<b>15 women die in stampede at station</b>
Another 48 injured at Mughalsarai, country's biggest railway junction
A stampede at Mughalsarai railway station on Wednesday afternoon resulted in 15 elderly women being trampled to death and severely injuring several others.
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A majority of the women killed were on fast observing Jivitputrika, a local festival, and were travelling to Varanasi for bathing at the ghats.
According to information, the 531Up Buxar-Mughalsarai DMU passenger arrived at Platform No. 6 of Mughalsarai and 10 minutes later 709 Gaya-Mughalsarai Passenger also reached Platform No. 5 in the afternoon.
It is reported that when the aged passengers were crossing the over-bridge, some people in a hurry trampled on them leading to chaos as passengers started running on the narrow over-bridge, causing a stampede.
While 14 women were trampled and died on the spot, another woman breathed her last later at a hospital. Hundred of others have been rushed to hospitals in Varanasi and Mughalsarai for treatment.
However, <b>unconfirmed reports stated that some police constables tried to make a fast buck when the two passenger trains arrived simultaneously at the station and started checking tickets leading to the stampede. However, senior police officials who had rushed to the spot denied the charges</b>.
Mughalsarai Divisional Railway Manager HK Kala said the incident took place when passengers, mostly women, were crossing the overbridge.
Kala said the reason for the stampede was still being ascertained. Probably it occurred due to rush and some sort of confusion among the passengers, he added.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, GRP, (Mughalsarai) Pramod Kumar Tiwari said that most of the women died on the platform and stairs due to suffocation. He said that all the injured had been admitted to the Railway Hospital at Mughalsarai.
<b>Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said over 50 people were injured in the stampede and the confusion among the passengers was created by the Railway authorities changing the platform of a train at the last moment.</b>
The Railways have set up helpline numbers for enquiries at Mughalsarai and Gaya railway stations. The numbers at Mughalsarai Railway Station are: 05412-254144 and 05412-253232, and at Gaya: 0631-2430320.
The Railways announced <b>a compensation of Rs 15,000 to the kin of those killed in the stampede and Rs 5,000 to the seriously injured.</b>
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Had they been Haj yatri, they would have received over hundred thousand as compensation. <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Pioneer News Service | Varanasi
<b>15 women die in stampede at station</b>
Another 48 injured at Mughalsarai, country's biggest railway junction
A stampede at Mughalsarai railway station on Wednesday afternoon resulted in 15 elderly women being trampled to death and severely injuring several others.
Â
A majority of the women killed were on fast observing Jivitputrika, a local festival, and were travelling to Varanasi for bathing at the ghats.
According to information, the 531Up Buxar-Mughalsarai DMU passenger arrived at Platform No. 6 of Mughalsarai and 10 minutes later 709 Gaya-Mughalsarai Passenger also reached Platform No. 5 in the afternoon.
It is reported that when the aged passengers were crossing the over-bridge, some people in a hurry trampled on them leading to chaos as passengers started running on the narrow over-bridge, causing a stampede.
While 14 women were trampled and died on the spot, another woman breathed her last later at a hospital. Hundred of others have been rushed to hospitals in Varanasi and Mughalsarai for treatment.
However, <b>unconfirmed reports stated that some police constables tried to make a fast buck when the two passenger trains arrived simultaneously at the station and started checking tickets leading to the stampede. However, senior police officials who had rushed to the spot denied the charges</b>.
Mughalsarai Divisional Railway Manager HK Kala said the incident took place when passengers, mostly women, were crossing the overbridge.
Kala said the reason for the stampede was still being ascertained. Probably it occurred due to rush and some sort of confusion among the passengers, he added.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, GRP, (Mughalsarai) Pramod Kumar Tiwari said that most of the women died on the platform and stairs due to suffocation. He said that all the injured had been admitted to the Railway Hospital at Mughalsarai.
<b>Meanwhile, eyewitnesses said over 50 people were injured in the stampede and the confusion among the passengers was created by the Railway authorities changing the platform of a train at the last moment.</b>
The Railways have set up helpline numbers for enquiries at Mughalsarai and Gaya railway stations. The numbers at Mughalsarai Railway Station are: 05412-254144 and 05412-253232, and at Gaya: 0631-2430320.
The Railways announced <b>a compensation of Rs 15,000 to the kin of those killed in the stampede and Rs 5,000 to the seriously injured.</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Had they been Haj yatri, they would have received over hundred thousand as compensation. <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif' /><!--endemo-->