Stampede was caused due to panic, claims railway inquiry

Mumbai: Western Railway’s (WR) Chief Safety Officer’s (CSO) report on the Elphinstone Road stampede has concluded that the tragedy was most likely caused by panic. The CSO is conducting the Railways’ inquiry into the incident. The official report is to be submitted sometime next week.

A total of 22 witnesses have been questioned in the inquiry and it has, by and large, been concluded that the panic was created by rumours of commuters being electrocuted due to a short circuit as well as rumours that the bridge had collapsed.

A WR official said, “Until now, from whatever statements have come from the railway staff and the witnesses, it seems that the stampede was caused due to panic, and not crowding.”

The inquiry has also brought out the point that the stampede was created due to the pressure created by the crowd at the top the stairs and that almost no commuters were standing at the bottom of the stairs because of the rains, another official said.

“In fact, witnesses have revealed that the there very little rush in the middle of the foot overbridge, so the pressure arose when the commuters got down from the train and made their way down the stairs.”

The officials will also be taking into account the finding of the CSO’s inquiry and combining it with the report by the audit teams that have been surveying all the stations, to come with a blueprint of what can be done to strengthen and improve the current infrastructure.