Jhansi: A stampede-like situation ensued at Virangana Laxmibai Jhansi railway station on Monday night when large number of passengers waiting to board a Prayagraj-bound Kumbh special train got bewildered and began pursuing the moving train which was merely being shunted. Several passengers stumbled on the floor while one fell on the tracks. Luckily, no injuries were reported.
According to reports, platform no. 1 at Jhansi railway station extends to platform no.8 at an identical length on the opposite end while platform no. 6 lies adjacent to platform 8. On Monday night, train no. 01804, Kumbh Special Ring Train, which had arrived from Kanpur on platform no. one, was being shunted towards platform no. 6, from where it was scheduled to proceed to Prayagraj. As the train was shunted from platform no. one and traversed platform no. 8, the passengers waiting on the platform thought that it commenced its journey, albeit from an incorrect platform.
There was chaos as the passengers tried to catch the moving train. During the commotion, several passengers slipped on the platform while one fell on the railway tracks. Fortunately, fellow passengers swiftly pulled him back. The train was halted and subsequently shunted to platform no. 6 before departing safely after all passengers boarded.
SP GRP Vipul Srivastav said, "The incident occurred due to confusion amongst passengers who misinterpreted the shunting train as having departed. However, no one sustained injuries during the incident. We will deploy additional force and ensure operations proceed more systematically in future."