Rourkela, Aug 22: In a tragic incident, a passenger died at Rourkela railway station in Odisha allegedly due to a wrong announcement by railway staff.
The deceased has been identified as Prabodh Ghosh (51), a resident of Bandhamunda area of the city.
As per reports, Ghosh, accompanied by his wife, arrived at Rourkela station to catch the South Bihar Express bound for AIIMS Raipur, where his wife was scheduled for treatment. They had booked seats in an AC coach.
Before the train's arrival, an announcement was made stating that the AC coaches would be positioned at the front of the platform. Following this, Ghosh led his wife to the front. However, moments later, another announcement changed the plan, stating that the AC coaches would now be at the rear. In a rush, Ghosh quickly took his wife to the other end of the platform.
Fatigued from running back and forth, Ghosh collapsed while attempting to board the train and fell onto the platform near the coach door. The Railway medical team arrived quickly and, after examining him, declared him dead. It is suspected that he may have suffered a cardiac arrest.
The incident caused tension at the station, as passengers and family members held the railway authorities responsible for the negligence. They called for strict action against those accountable. The Government Railway Police (GRP) later took possession of the body for a post-mortem.
Eyewitnesses raised questions about why the train was directed to Platform No. 2 when Platform No. 1 was completely vacant. Passengers claimed that although Platform No. 1 has been unused for months, trains are often diverted to other platforms, causing daily inconvenience. In the wake of the incident, passengers are now demanding a thorough and impartial inquiry into the matter.
