Mumbai suburban railway, considered the lifeline of India's financial capital, is also a 'death trap' for many commuters. According to data provided by the Government Railway Police (GRP), over 3,000 people lost their lives in train accidents in the city in 2017, at least 8 people per day.
A Railway Protection Force jawan on Friday saved a man who could have become just a statistics to this number. But a quick response by the RPF personnel saved a boy at Mumbai's Naigaon station from a falling under moving a train.
The CCTV footage, recorded on February 2, shows an RPF personnel running toward the moving train. A man also gets down from the train and runs towards the opposite direction. Before he could reach to save the boy from coming under the train, the RPF personnel pulls the boy up to safety.
The CCTV footage was posted by ANI on Twitter where many users applauded the RPF personnel for his heroics.
The suburban railway or the local train is increasingly becoming a 'death trap' for commuters as over 3,014 commuters lost their lives in train accidents in the city last year, according to data provided by the GRP in response to an RTI query.
A city-based activist, Samir Jhaveri, had filed the RTI query.
"Of the total number of deaths reported in 2017 across all the suburban stations (on all three lines), 1,651 persons (1,467 men and 184 women) lost their lives while crossing tracks. Besides, 654 passengers, including 58 women, died after falling from running trains," the reply said.
"There are about nine deaths everyday and efforts are being made to avoid the fatalities. We are trying to educate people. We have put up stickers at several places and organise various awareness campaigns to sensitise commuters," the ACP said.
The data showed that with 1,534 deaths, the central line, which has some of the busiest stations like Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Dadar and Byculla, claimed the maximum number of lives.
CSMT alone accounted for 62 deaths during the period (2017), it said.
The western line, comprising major stations like Churchgate, Andheri, Bandra and Borivali, witnessed 1,086 deaths last year. The maximum number of deaths (76) were reported from Borivali station.
The harbour line, operated by the Central Railway, witnessed as many as 394 deaths last year, the RTI reply revealed.
While 36 people, including six women, allegedly committed suicide, 556 commuters (481 males and 75 females) died a natural death while travelling, it said.
(With PTI inputs)
