1 killed, 20 injured as foot overbridge collapses in Maharashtra station

A person was killed and at least 20 others were injured on Sunday (November 27) after a part of a foot overbridge collapsed at the Ballarshah Railway Station in the Nagpur division of the Central Railway in Maharashtra.

The deceased was identified as 48-year-old Neelima Rangari, who died at a private hospital soon after the incident.

“Of the two seriously injured, Neelima Rangari (48) died at a private hospital while undergoing treatment and another person is in the intensive care unit there,” Chandrapur District Collector Vinay Gowda told reporters.

The foot overbridge connects Platform number 1 with 5.

Reports said the incident happened around 5 pm on Sunday when passengers were crossing the bridge to catch a train. Several passengers fell from a height of around 60 feet when a part of the walkway suddenly caved in.

Reports said that a part of the pre-cast slab of the foot overbridge connecting Platforms 1 and 2 collapsed, leading to the accident. The Railways has clarified that only a small section of the bridge, and not the entire one has collapsed.

Around eight of the injured are said to be in a critical condition.

The Railways, as per the Central Railway’s Chef PRO, has announced a compensation of ₹1 lakh for severely injured individuals and ₹50,000 for those who sustained minor injuries.

The PRO said that the injured are being given the best medical treatment to ensure their speedy recovery.

The incident comes weeks after the Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat in which 132 people including children lost their lives.