Woman Passenger Suffers Head Injury After Middle Berth Falls In Chennai–Palakkad Express Train

The injured passenger, identified as Suria Murugan, was resting on the lower berth in Coach S5 when the unoccupied middle berth on Chennai–Palakkad Express train suddenly gave way and fell on her.

According to fellow passengers, the accident took place around midnight.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

A 39-year-old woman passenger sustained a head injury after a middle berth collapsed onto her in the sleeper coach of the Chennai–Palakkad Express during the early hours of Monday. The incident occurred while the train was passing through Jolarpet, causing panic among passengers.

Middle Berth Collapses 

The injured passenger, identified as Suria Murugan, was resting on the lower berth in Coach S5 when the unoccupied middle berth suddenly gave way and fell on her. According to fellow passengers, the accident took place around midnight.

Suria’s husband, who was traveling in a different coach, alleged that railway authorities failed to provide immediate medical assistance, and no first aid was given for over an hour, as per a report on The Hindu. An ambulance was reportedly arranged only after the train arrived at Salem, by which time Suria was still bleeding from the head wound.

In response to the incident, Southern Railway officials said that they conducted a joint inspection of the coach involved. However, it was noted that the hook mechanism released when the berth was lifted more than 2.5 cm, suggesting a potential mechanical fault.

Officials also confirmed that the coach had undergone a scheduled overhaul on March 16 and was not yet due for further maintenance, reported UNI.

Authorities are expected to continue their investigation into the incident to determine whether mechanical failure or human error played a role in the collapse.

Last year, 62-year-old Ali Khan, a resident of Vadamukku in Maranchery, lost his life after being critically injured when the middle berth of a train collapsed on him. The incident took place while he was traveling to Delhi. He was initially rushed to a nearby hospital and later transferred to a multispecialty facility in Hyderabad, where he underwent emergency surgeries.