Part of ramp at Bhopal Rly Station collapses, 9 injured
   Date :14-Feb-2020

Part of ramp at Bhopal Rl
 
A portion of the slab on a foot overbridge between platform nos 2 and 3 at the Bhopal Railway Station that collapsed on passengers waiting on the platform injuring nine.( Right) The railway staff picking up debris after the incident on Thursday morning.
 
Staff Reporter :
 
A slab of a ramp connecting the foot over bridge (FOB) between two platforms at the Bhopal Railway Station collapsed on the passengers waiting on the platform on Thursday morning injuring several people. After the ramp collapsed, people rushed to the spot and removed several injured from the debris. While some are critical, no deaths has been confirmed. Passengers were seen helping those injured as the incident reported at around 9 am at platform 2 led to a chaos at the railway station. The locals and railway staff were also seen picking up debris. Passengers said they heard a loud sound while going towards platform no-2 and 3 and people standing under it trapped after foot-over bridge collapse at Bhopal Railway Station. Learning about the incident Public Relations minister P C Sharma, MLA (Narela) Vishwas Sarang, Uday Borwanker, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Bhopal and ADG (Rail) Aruna Mohan Rao reached the spot.
 
The mishap took place when the slab of a ramp connecting the FOB between platform nos 2 and 3 collapsed and fell on passengers, injuring at least 9 persons, including 8 of the same family. The ambulances were called immediately and injured were rushed to Hamidia and Chirayu hospitals. Those injured include Naeet Jahan (40) wife of Azhar Khan of Nishatpura, her son Ayaz Khan (18), Saleem alias Rehman (40), son of Azeer-Ur-Rehman of Jail Road, Khalid Beg (42) of Mangalwara, Khalil Rehman (40) of Jail Road, Anupam Sharma (31) of Vidisha and Mariam (20), wife of Ezadut Rehman (20) of Aheer Mohalla. Out of the total 9 victims including women, one of them who sustained minor injuries was discharged after treatment whereas the condition of one Ayaz is critical.
 
A vendor Ajay Singh Rathore who has shop near the ramp also got injured. Just before the incident, Sampark Kranti running between Hazrat Nizamuddin and Tirupati has arrived around 9.04 am at platform no 2 of Bhopal Railway Station and among the passengers got down from this train there were 28 residents of Arif Nagar (Nishatpura), Jail Road and Aheer Mohalla (Jehangirabad) in Bhopal city. They came from Hyderabad to Bhopal after attending a family function.
 
After getting down from train they gathered at one place and were using the ramp connecting the foot over bridge (FOB) when it fell down. After the incident, railway officials closed the movement on foot over bridge for passengers and operation is underway to pull down the remaining structure of ramp. At least 18 trains scheduled to arrive at platform no 2 and 3 were made to halt at remaining platforms 1, 4, 5 and 6. However, even after the tragic incident, cows entered the foot over bridge (FOB) and ran towards platform no 1 creating panic among passengers. ADG (Rail) Aruna Mohan Rao said that the part of ramp of foot over bridge which collapsed on Thursday morning is around 40 years old and was constructed in the year 1992. Though the bridge is used by thousands, it is difficult to give the exact numbers of pedestrians who use this bridge immediately. Bhopal division PRO I S Siddiqui said, “At around 9 am, a slab of FOB at platform number 2 collapsed.
 
There have been no grievous injuries and there is no casualty either. The Bhopal Railway Division has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. We will investigate the matter and action will be taken against the people responsible for it,” said Siddiqui. “Teams of railway doctors were present at both the Hamidia and Chirayu hospitals to assist the injured persons. An inquiry team has reached the spot to ascertain the cause of the accident,” added railway official Siddiqui. Public Relations Minister P C Sharma who also visited the spot declared that compensation of Rs 50,000 each would be given to the families of those who got seriously injured in the incident and Rs 10,000 to those who sustained minor injuries whereas the state government would provide for their treatment. He said that Chief Minister Kamal Nath would write a letter to Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and safety inspection of remaining FOBs of Bhopal Railway Station and other railway stations would be made so that such incident could not repeat in future. 
 
With proper upkeep mishap could have been averted, asserts AGM Shobhan Chaudhary
 
A high-level committee has been constituted who will submit report in 3-4 days period.
 
On the basis of report stringent action will be taken against the responsible staffers for having ignored the mandatory maintenance of the old ramp
 
Staff Reporter :
 
A major disaster averted at Bhopal Station, one of the most overcrowded stations of WCR, being a divisional headquarters station of Bhopal division at around 9 am has exposed tall claims of WCR of having given emphasis on optimal maintenance. Had the railway administration taken gravity of the delapidated foot over bridge (ramp) and had the Engineering Department discharged its responsibility no injuries would have taken place in the mishap. Shobhan Chaudhary, Additional General Manager (AGM) of West Central Railway, when contacted told this newspaper, that the mishap could have been averted had the concern department taken due note of the condition of the foot over bridge at Bhopal station connecting platform number 2-3. We have taken serious cognisance of the mishap occurred, a high-level committee has been constituted who will submit report in 3-4 days period. On the basis of report stringent action will be taken against the responsible staffers for having ignored the mandatory maintenance of the old ramp. Additional General Manager Shobhan Chaudhary soon after the incident was reported on Thursday he along with other officers reached Bhopal to take stock of the situation. He said that the present old FOB constructed in the year 1990 would shortly be debarred from service. Despite the fact it has life but owing to present state of affairs the services would be called off. As another bridge would get constructed shortly to substitute the old ramp. For us passenger safety is of paramount importance the lapse responsible behind the mishap none of the guilty would get spared. With huge inflow of passengers at Bhopal station it is mandatory to keep all place of public fully intact, he said. However, in the post-mishap reported a committee has been constituted, it is informed would comprise of two higher administrative officers and two senior grade officers. Meanwhile, the mishap occurred at Bhopal Railway Station, as it now has exposed the major apathy on the part of the Engineering Department. Who were aware of the large number of passengers using the FOB (ramp) connecting platform number 2-3 at Bhopal station failed to take gravity of the poor condition of the ramp.