On Sunday morning around 8:40 am, panic erupted in a general bogie of the Punjab Mail train near Bahgul river in Bilpur area of Bareilly district, due to a rumor of a fire. The train was immediately stopped by pulling the chain, leaving half the bogie on the river bridge and half outside. As soon as the train stopped, passengers out of panic started jumping off, leading to a stampede-like situation.
Passengers Jumped in Fear, Over 20 Injured
Due to the fire rumor, over 20 passengers who jumped off the train were injured, with 7 of them stated to be in serious condition. The incident occurred between Bareilly and Meeranpur Katra stations. This sudden stampede emptied several bogies of the train and spread an atmosphere of fear among the passengers.
Railway Investigating the Incident, Rumor Found False
As soon as the incident was reported, the driver and guard immediately inspected the bogie. The inspection found that there was no fire anywhere, and the situation was normal. After that, the injured were made to sit in the ladies and guard’s bogies, and the train was dispatched after 20 minutes. The train was stopped at Shahjahanpur station, where railway officials and security personnel sent the injured to the Government Medical College via ambulances.
Smoke Seen, Rumor Spread, Fire Extinguisher Cylinder the Cause
A GRP official said that the Punjab Mail Express, which was going from Amritsar to Howrah, had reached between Bilpur and Meeranpur Katra stations around 8:30 am. At that time, passengers saw smoke emanating from the general bogie and suspected a fire. According to a passenger, the smoke was due to a leaking fire extinguisher cylinder, but some people mistook it for smoke from a fire and started shouting, which led to the rumor spreading and the subsequent stampede.
Investigation Underway to Identify Mischievous Elements
Aditya Gupta, Senior DCM of Moradabad Rail Division, said that a detailed investigation into the incident is underway, and all possible steps are being taken to identify any mischievous elements. Efforts are on to get to the root of this rumor that caused panic among the passengers.
