Chandrapur railway station footbridge collapse claims woman's life

During treatment, a 48-year-old woman succumbed to injuries. She was hurt when the footbridge at Balharshah railway station collapsed, said Chandrapur District Information Officer.   

A 48-year-old woman died, and at least 15 others were injured when a slab of a Foot Over Bridge (FOB) connecting two platforms at Balharshah railway station in Maharashtra's Chandrapur district collapsed on Sunday evening. The Central Railway (CR) has launched an enquiry to understand the cause of the accident.

According to police, the incident occurred around 5:00 pm, when the FOB slab between platforms 1 and 2 collapsed. At least 15 people on the bridge at the time fell onto the railway tracks. One of them, a woman, was killed. At least two others were seriously injured and were treated in a private hospital.

The slab that fell was 16 feet long and was a pre-cast structure, according to the police. 

The deceased woman was identified as Nilima Rangari. She died of head injuries while being treated late Sunday. Another woman, Ranjana Khadtad, is in critical condition, and another, Radheshyam Singh, has not yet regained consciousness.

"Three people with critical injuries were taken to a private hospital. All three had severe head injuries, according to a senior police officer.

The railways announced ex gratia of one lakh rupees to those seriously injured in the accident and Rs 50,000 to those who suffered minor injuries. "Injured persons are receiving the best medical treatment possible by being transferred to other hospitals for early recovery," said a spokesperson for the railways.