Bhubaneswar: An old wall collapsed, bringing down with it metal sheets of a platform roof, onto the tracks during the redevelopment works at Cuttack railway station on Wednesday afternoon.
While the sudden loud crash triggered panic among passengers and railway staff, the debris blocked the railway tracks, bringing train operations to a halt on the affected platforms.
According to the ECoR, the mishap took place at around 3.45 pm and temporarily hampered train movement on Platforms 1 & 2. “There has been no injury or casualty reported in this incident. Restoration work is already in progress, and the lines are expected to be cleared within 45 minutes,” it said.
It added that the construction activities are being carried out with adequate safety precautions.
Meanwhile, the BJD has attributed the incident to negligence of the Railway department and contractor, as well as lack of attention to safety measures. Cuttack-Choudwar BJD MLA Shri Souvik Biswal, Cuttack Mayor Subash Singh, and Cuttack District BJD President Prafulla Singh visited the site and assessed the damage.
Biswal stated that the Railways must pay immediate attention to completing the construction work, which has been progressing at a sluggish pace. Cuttack Mayor claimed that one person was injured in the incident and has been hospitalised.
“By the grace of Lord Jagannath, a major mishap was averted, as the Vande Bharat train had passed just a few minutes before the collapse. An investigation must be conducted into the incident, and strict action should be taken against the responsible contractor and department officials,” Singh added.
The redevelopment of the station is being done with a project cost of Rs 303 crore under the Indian Railways’ Amrit Station Scheme. The redeveloped three-storey Cuttack station will have world-class amenities for passengers such as separate arrival and departure concourses, a large food court, and a modern retiring room.
