9 Injured in Crowd at Bandra Terminus During Festival Rush
A stampede at Bandra Terminus injured 9 passengers as they rushed to board an overcrowded train.
A stampede occurred at Bandra Terminus in Mumbai on 27th October 2024 when passengers rushed to board the Mumbai-Gorakhpur Antyodaya Express train, resulting in 9 injuries. The incident happened around 2:55 AM, even though the train was not scheduled to leave until 5:10 AM.
As the train approached Platform No. 1, passengers jostled to get inside, even though the doors were still locked. The train's seating capacity is 2,036, but 2,530 tickets had been sold, leading to overcrowding. Some reports indicate that 10 people were injured, while others confirm 9.
Video footage showed the chaos, with injured passengers being carried on stretchers and blood on the floor. Among the injured, Noor Mohammad Shaikh (18) and Indrajit Sahani (19) are in critical condition at KEM Hospital. Noor’s mother expressed her sorrow, stating, "We were going for a wedding, but now we are in a hospital."
The stampede raised concerns about crowd management, especially with the increase in passengers during the Diwali and Chhath festivals. Following the incident, Western Railway suspended platform ticket sales at Bandra Terminus and other major stations to manage the crowd.
To accommodate the increased passenger rush, Indian Railways has deployed over 130 special trains, particularly to Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Central Railway has also imposed temporary restrictions on platform ticket sales at major stations until 8th November 2024.
Authorities are implementing measures to improve crowd control, including managing queues and restricting entry to ticket holders only.
