Two rumours led to the horrific tragedy at the Elphinstone Road foot bridge in which left over 20 dead. While one rumour was that of a short circuit, the other was due to a joke that the bridge will not be able to take the weight and will collapse.
The Western Railways says that they would investigate into the matter. An initial inquiry conducted suggested that a rumour regarding the collapse of the bridge led to the panic.
Eye witnesses say that the bridge was already overcrowded. With the rumour floating some persons urged others to get of the bridge quickly. People on the overcrowded bridge started to panic and this led to the stampede.
During the incident, it was the women who got stuck. Many men climbed on the railing and escaped. However many women felt suffocated as they were trapped in the crowd.
OneIndia News
