Kerala Man Dies after Train Berth Falls on Him
A 62-year-old man travelled from Kerala to New Delhi on the Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Millennium Superfast Express died after the berth above and the passenger occupying it fell directly on him.
A 62-year-old man named Maradikkal Ali Khan, a LIC agent, tragically lost his life after a berth accident while traveling from Kerala to New Delhi on the Ernakulam-Hazrat Nizamuddin Millennium Superfast Express on 15th June 2024. Khan had booked the lower berth in the AC-3 tier sleeper coach for his journey.
The middle and top berths were also occupied during the trip. While Khan was resting comfortably, the train was passing through Telangana when suddenly the middle berth fell on him along with the passenger occupying it. The impact caused severe injuries, breaking three of Khan’s neck bones and leaving his hands and legs paralyzed. Surprisingly, the passenger on the middle berth did not sustain any injuries.
Fellow passengers informed the train’s ticket collector (TC) and tried to assist Khan. The TC decided to make an unscheduled stop at Ramagundam Station to get Khan medical help. The station master at Ramagundam arranged for an emergency ambulance and medical staff.
Upon arrival at the station, railway authorities quickly transferred Khan to the ambulance, and he was taken to a nearby hospital. Due to his critical condition, Khan was later moved to KIMS multi-specialty hospital in Hyderabad, where doctors performed emergency surgeries to try to restore his neck bones and cure his paralysis. Despite their efforts, Khan's condition remained critical, and he passed away on 24th June 2024.
Khan’s family and friends brought his body back to his hometown, Maranchery, on 25th June 2024, where he was buried in his ancestral burial grounds on 26th June 2024. The news of Khan’s death quickly spread on social media, raising questions about the safety mechanisms aboard Indian trains.
In response to the incident, the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) issued a statement. They clarified that an inspection of the berth at the last station revealed no dysfunction or defect. They claimed that the middle berth fell because the passenger occupying it had not properly locked its chains, which are specifically designed to hold the berth steady.
Khan is survived by his wife Shakeela and daughter Shaza. So far, there has been no news of Khan’s family filing any case against the IRCTC or the passenger occupying the middle berth above him.
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