Kolkata Metro starts probe into passenger’s death

Kolkata, July 15 (IANS) Two days after the horrific death of a passenger in the Kolkata Metro, senior railway safety officials on Monday started a high-level probe into the tragedy, proposing to install convex mirrors at the end of both platforms and stop plying the new 'Medha rakes', one of which was involved in the accident, a Kolkata Metro Railway official said.

Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS-Metro division) Sailesh Garg led a team of senior railway officials and engineers to the Park Street Metro Railway station, where the accident took place on Saturday evening and then examined the metro rake, a door of which had allegedly malfunctioned during the accident.

"We will conduct a thorough investigation. Today was the site visit. The Metro rake will be checked for mechanical snags. The reason for the malfunction can be found out after a detailed report. Those directly involved in the incident will also be interrogated," a Metro Railway official said.

According to Metro sources, Garg has proposed to install a convex mirror at end of the each platform so that the motorman can get full view of the train before leaving the stations.

"He has suggested installation of convex mirrors at the end of both platforms, in the direction which the metro train will be moving. This has been made mandatory so that the motorman can have a full view of the platform and the rest of the rake before leaving the station," Kolkata Metro CPRO Indrani Banerjee said.

She said the Metro authority has also decided not to use the new AC Metro rakes, also known as the 'Medha rakes', one of which was involved in Saturday's accident, till the investigation is completed.

"None of the Medha rakes has plied since Saturday's accident. The new rakes which have been functional, will be fully rechecked by the technicians as one of those rakes were involved during the accident," she added.

Sajal Kanjilal, a resident of Kasba area of Kolkata, was trying to board a Kavi Subhash-bound train at the Park Street metro station on Saturday when the train started moving with his hand stuck between two sliding doors and the body hanging outside.

After the train had moved some distance, the shouts of other train passengers alerted the driver, who applied the emergency brake and the victim fell, face-first, on the track below.

The train came to a stop with four coaches inside the tunnel and the remaining four on the platform area.

Eyewitnesses said the victim lay in the tunnel for quite sometime before security personnel removed him.

"A First Information Report (FIR) was registered on Sunday against the Metro Railway after a complaint alleging negligence on its part was lodged by the family members of the deceased," police said.

A motorman and the guard of the Metro train have been suspended.