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Thursday, November 25, 2010

Another Train Accident - Witnessed This Morning - Another Statistic

A few anxious shouts, a flurry of activity, craning necks, the thunder of the electric train now changes to a metallic grinding sound, Eeeeeeeeeeeekkkk! "Whattappen? kya hua? Kay jhala?" The shouts echo in the narrow and cloistered CBD Belapur station.
 
I see a flash of blue piece of cloth disappearing into the tiny space between platform and rail. As with all accidents, the incident happens so fast, nobody can react, nor do they react. Too late! Seems the man was trying to cross the track to the opposite platform when the train came. Don't know what happened, whether he was killed, maimed, traumatised, as my train came on to the platform on the other side.
 
It says here that Bombay trains mow down ten people a day. That's 3650 people a year, or, perhaps, more. It's not a comfortable thought. This incident is another statistic, but for the family it means more - loss of a wage earner, a provided of grain (anna data), a father, a loving husband, a beloved son.
 
Should you take such risks?

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