Three fall from overcrowded EMUs in two places, one killed

The deceased, identified as L Arul Kumar from Rajiv Gandhi Nagar in Urapakkam, was an ITI student. The injured were M Arun Pandian (25) from Villupuram and A Dinesh (23) from MGR Nagar in Chengalpattu.

Arul Kumar boarded a fast local EMU at Urapakkam to reach his college in Guindy. It being a Monday, the train was filled with passengers, forcing many to travel on the footboard. Around 9 am when nearing Irumbiliyur, Arul Kumar lost his grip and fell on the ground. He was rushed to Rajiv Gandhi Government hospital with multiple injuries but was declared dead on the arrival.

In the second incident, another fast local EMU from Chengalpattu was approaching Tambaram Railway station. Just a few meters before the 5th platform of the railway station, Arun Pandian and Dinesh lost their grip and fell on the rail tracks. Dinesh’s left leg was severed after it was run over by the train, while Arun Pandian suffered severe head injuries.

The RPF and the GRP personnel rushed to the spot and took both of them to Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. The Tambaram Railway police have registered a case.

Tambaram RPF inspector said that they were repeatedly advising the public not to travel on footboard. “On Monday afternoon, too, the RPF team issued pamphlets to the public in the Tambaram, Perungalathur, Vandalur, Guduvanchery and Urapakkam railway station to create awareness,” he said.

However, regular commuters alleged that the trains were not operated as per the schedule, with most of them running late. The trains should be operated at frequent intervals, on time, so that such incidents can be avoided in the future, they added.

It may be recalled that in July last year, seven passengers lost died after hitting a concrete fence at the St Thomas Mount railway station while travelling on a fast local train in two separate incidents.

After that incident, the Southern Railways had cancelled the fast local trains and made some track realignments at platform number four at St Thomas Mount railway station. The fast local train services resumed only in June 2019.