Bihar train mishap shows lack of safety concerns
The loss of innocent lives in any situation is sad; but what makes Monday's train mishap in Bihar, which has left at least 37 dead, particularly tragic is that it was almost entirely avoidable. Had only all stakeholders exercised greater caution, things would not have come to such a sorry pass. After all, no number of rules and laws can help if individuals refuse to take responsibility for their own safety and the safety of others. Commuters on the Samastipur-Saharsa Passenger train who got off on the tracks to avoid the rush on the platform, should have considered the dangers of doing so. They were mowed down by the speeding Rayja Rani Express which didn’t have a scheduled stop at the small Dhamara Ghat station. Also thrown under the train were passengers who had de-boarded the Dauram Madhepura-Samastipur Passenger train which had rolled into the station, minutes after the Samastipur-Saharsa Passenger train parked itself on the first line. These passengers, however, had no choice but to cross the tracks on foot because there was no platform on their side. For this, the rail authorities have to answer. Undertaking public awareness campaigns against walking on the tracks, as the Railway Board has suggested, makes no sense when there are no platforms to alight on. Monday's tragedy was waiting to happen.
Still, the disaster could have been avoided had the Dhamara Ghat station officials informed Rayja Rani's driver about the heavy pedestrian traffic on the tracks and instructed him to reduce speed, as is required by law, during occasions of mass gathering. local authorities were surely aware that since August 19 was the last Monday of the holy month of Shravan, large numbers of pilgrims would be coming there to offer prayers at the nearby Katyayani temple. Finally, had the officials even cared to announce the arrival of the express train, the commuters would have been warned; instead, they were caught unawares in the jaws of death. However, the subsequent mayhem at Dhamara Ghat cannot be justified. An irate public battered Rayja Rani's driver (though he was barely at fault) and other railway staff, and set ablaze 20 coaches and two engines. Not only did such hooliganism cost the public exchequer Rs 25 crore and disrupt train traffic for the rest of the day, it put more lives in danger. Already, given the grievous injuries of some of the survivors, there is a strong possibility that the death toll in Bihar will rise. Yet, it did not have to be this high. Many of the passengers did not die immediately but bled over hours to death for lack of medical attention. True, Dhamara Ghat is a remote station, almost 200 kms away from Patna, but that is still no excuse for the State administration to have taken seven hours to provide the victims with medical aid.
The tragedy puts the spotlight on the rising instances of death on the tracks in the country. Between January 2009 and June 2012, more than 50,000 people have been killed in this manner. In other words, as many as 40 people are run over by trains everyday. While most of these deaths happen at the 12,582 unmanned railway crossings, a significant number can be attributed to irresponsible commuters and poor coordination among the authorities concerned.