Diwali Rush Leads To Chaos At Surat Station Killing 1, Man 'Thrown Out Of Train' By Crowd In Vadodara

Overcrowding at Surat railway station led to a stampede situation resulting in the death of one person. At Vadodara, a man was not able to board a train after he was 'thrown out' by the crowd.

The festive rush during Diwali has led to overcrowding at railway stations and resulted in the death of one at Surat while two others were injured in the stampede. Meanwhile, a man travelling from Gujarat's Vadodara missed his train and shared his hassle on social media, claiming that he was 'thrown out' of the train by the crowd despite having a ticket. 

Superintendent of Police Western Railway Vadodara Division Sarojini Kumari, while talking about the stampede situation today said, "Yesterday, in the incident, a few people who were sitting inside felt restlessness. Due to that, one person got unconscious, and he was given CPR. 3–4 people were shifted to a hospital, one of them lost his life. Others were discharged from the hospital. Today, special trains are running... That's why the number of passengers has eased out... For people who are left here, a special train has been arranged, according to the railway official. Their time and notifications have to come."

The deceased was identified as Ankit Birendra Singh who was trying to board the Tapti Ganga Express that was en route to Bihar's Bhagalpur. The injured in the incident were admitted to a nearby hospital where they are now undergoing treatment. Four individuals also fainted due to the situation at the overcrowded platforms. News agency IANS cited an official as saying that the passenger numbers have exceeded station capacity by three times.

Union Minister of State for Railways, Darshana Jardosh, visited SMIMER Hospital where the injured are undergoing treatment, IANS reported.

Meanwhile, Anshul Sharma, a passenger who was trying to board a train from Gujarat's Vadodara claimed to have bought a confirmed ticket, however, he was still not allowed to board a train. Sharma took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to reach out to Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and wrote, "PNR 8900276502. Indian Railways Worst management. Thanks for ruining my Diwali. This is what you get even when you have a confirmed 3rd AC ticket. No help from the Police. Many people like me were not able to board. @AshwiniVaishnaw I want a total refund of ₹1173.95."

He claimed that a crowd of labour threw him out of the train.