Festive rush: 1 dead, 2 injured due to overcrowding at Surat rly station

Surat: One person has died while two others were hospitalised after they were stuck in the chaos and commotion caused by the sea of humanity that has been witnessed in Gujarat's Surat railway station since the last few days due to the festive season.

The railway station here has witnessed an unprecedented surge of travellers heading home for Diwali and Chhath Puja, with passenger numbers exceeding station capacity by three times, an official said on Saturday.

During the rush to board trains, severe platform overcrowding resulted in excessive pushing and disorder. The situation escalated when four individuals fainted amidst the chaos.

Despite intervention by the police and a medical team, one passenger died. The deceased has been identified as Ankit Birendra Singh, who was trying to board the Tapti Ganga Express to Bihar's Bhagalpur.

Ankit, a worker in a local Diamond Factory, and two other passengers, including a woman, were caught in the tumultuous crowd.

Ramprakash Singh, Ankit's brother, is among those receiving medical attention following the incident.

The police personnel deployed at the station eventually managed and controlled the crowd flow, restoring order at the station.

Union Minister of State for Railways, Darshana Jardosh, visited SMIMER Hospital to meet the injured and gather information about the incident.

Announcing compensation for the deceased's family, Jardosh said that the Railways might restrict platform access to those without reserved tickets to prevent such incidents in the future.

Minister of State for Home Affairs, Harsh Sanghavi, highlighted the police's role in controlling the situation at Surat and Udhana stations.