Mathura : A young pilgrim from Kanpur narrowly escaped death as he got pushed by a crowd while deboarding a train at the Mathura railway station, officials said on Monday.
The pushing caused him to fall unconscious on the platform, following which he was rushed to a hospital for treatment on Sunday night, they said. He later said his mobile phone and money were stolen.
The incident comes close on the heels of a stampede at the New Delhi Railway Station which claimed lives of over a dozen people amid rising passenger traffic for the Maha Kumbh.
Government Railway Police (GRP) in-charge Yadram Singh said here, “Rajkumar, a resident of Girsi in Kanpur and son of Bhuri Singh, fell and sustained injuries due to the pressure of the crowd while getting off the train.”
Following the incident, passengers at the station immediately alerted railway staff. Rajkumar later recounted, “Someone pushed me from behind as I was stepping off the train, causing me to fall on the platform.”
He suffered serious injuries to his head and arm. He also mentioned that after losing consciousness, his mobile phone and money went missing.
GRP in-charge Singh said Rajkumar is receiving treatment at the hospital and efforts are underway to locate his missing mobile phone.
Security measures were heightened at the Mathura Junction following the New Delhi Railway Station stampede on Saturday night. Railway and district administration officials are on high alert due to the rising number of pilgrims travelling to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh.
District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and DIG/Senior Superintendent of Police Shailesh Kumar Pandey conducted an inspection of the station at midnight, advising pilgrims to avoid rushing and not to believe in rumours.
“Additional personnel from GRP, RPF, and civil police have been deployed to ensure passengers board trains in an orderly and safe manner,” Pandey said.
GRP in-charge Singh said that more than 20 constables have been stationed at the junction to manage the crowds.
“We are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any incident similar to what happened in Delhi,” he added.
Railway officials said the number of pilgrims heading to Prayagraj for the Maha Kumbh continues to rise. “If the number of general compartment tickets crosses 500, special trains will be arranged, and passengers will be informed in advance to prevent panic or overcrowding,” a railway official said.
