LUCKNOW: In a major goof up by Harauni railway station master, a passenger lost his life and two others were left grievously hurt on Monday after a train hit them at Harauni railway station in Banthra-Lucknow section on the outskirts of state capital following a stampede caused by the sudden announcement of platform change of a train.
After the accident, angry passengers created ruckus and vandalised the memu train which shuttles between Lucknow and Kanpur via Unnao. In the wake of protests, the railway administration had to stop train traffic coming from Unnao to Lucknow. The Kanpur-Lucknow section was also hit badly due to the ruckus created by angry passengers.
On Monday morning, the Harauni railway station as usual witnessed heavy footfall due to the daily commuters. As the passengers were waiting for the memu train to arrive, there was an announcement regarding change of platform. This caused stampede as passengers scrambled over each other to board the train. In the confusion, a 25-year-old man got by the train and died. Two others got injured who were admitted to a hospital.
Other passengers protested, demanding action against erring station master. Senior railway officials rushed to the spot and pacified agitated passengers by assuring them of strict action against the guilty. Heavy contingent of RPF and GRP were deployed at Haruani station. Meanwhile, local police too helped the railway police in controlling the situation and the body of the victim was sent for post-mortem examination.