By Krishna Dua 
Bardhaman Rail Panic: 8 Injured, Officials Clarify No Stampede
October 13, 2025—In a frightening yet fortunate turn of events at Bardhaman Junction in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district, a panic-inducing slip on the foot-overbridge left 8 passengers injured on Sunday evening, October 12, during the peak Diwali travel rush. The incident, which unfolded around 5:30 PM amid the simultaneous arrival of multiple trains, could have spiraled into a full-blown stampede but was swiftly contained thanks to the quick thinking of railway staff and the relatively sparse crowd on the bridge at the time. Indian Railways has categorically denied any stampede, describing it as a “localized panic from a single fall,” with all injured individuals now stable and under observation at Burdwan Medical College and Hospital (BMCH).
Bardhaman Junction, a critical hub on the Howrah-Delhi main line handling over 150 trains and 50,000 passengers daily, was abuzz with festive commuters from Kolkata and Asansol heading home for Diwali celebrations. The mishap occurred on the foot-overbridge connecting Platforms 3 and 5, when a woman lost her footing on the stairs, triggering a chain reaction that toppled 7 others behind her. No fatalities were reported, and the station resumed normal operations within 45 minutes, but the event has reignited concerns about infrastructure safety during high-traffic periods. General Manager of Eastern Railway, Kaustav Mukherjee, addressed the media at 8 AM today: “This was an unfortunate slip, not a stampede. Our protocols worked perfectly—no lives lost, and services are back on track.”
The injured, ranging in age from 22 to 62, include 5 women and 3 men from West Bengal and neighboring states, treated for fractures, bruises, and shock. As the investigation unfolds, the Bardhaman incident serves as a sobering reminder of the vulnerabilities in India’s vast rail network, where festive exuberance can quickly turn to peril. In this in-depth 2000-word report, we reconstruct the sequence of events, detail the casualties, outline the rescue operations, probe the root causes, examine official responses, review historical parallels, assess community repercussions, and explore broader safety implications. On October 13, as the morning trains whistle through Bardhaman, the panic’s echo demands not hysteria but heightened vigilance—a clarion for rails’ renewal.
The Incident Unfolds: A Slip in the Festive Rush
The harrowing episode at Bardhaman Junction commenced in the evening rush hour on October 12, 2025, around 5:30 PM, when the station was swarming with Diwali-bound travelers from Kolkata’s suburbs and Asansol’s industrial belts. The Howrah-New Delhi Rajdhani Express (Train No. 12301) pulled into Platform 3 at 5:25 PM, disgorging 350 passengers, while the simultaneous arrival of the Kalka Mail (No. 12311) at Platform 5 created a bottleneck on the foot-overbridge spanning the two platforms. The bridge, a 150-meter steel structure installed in 2018, was designed for 100 simultaneous users but saw 120-130 at the time, a 20% overcapacity typical for festive peaks.
Eyewitness testimonies, supported by CCTV footage released by Eastern Railway at 7 AM on October 13, vividly capture the chaos. Sita Devi, 45, a homemaker from Durgapur traveling with her family, was descending the stairs from Platform 3 when she slipped on a wet step—slick from a light drizzle earlier and soap residue from passengers’ hands. “I was holding my bag and sari; my foot gave way, and I fell backward,” Sita recounted to ANI from her BMCH bed. The tumble triggered a chain reaction: Her bag hit Rajesh Kumar, 38, a software engineer from Kolkata behind her, who lost balance and collided with Lakshmi Mandal, 55, from Asansol, and so on, toppling 7 others in a 6-step cascade.
Screams echoed as bags flew and bodies bumped, but the bridge’s side railings—1 meter high—prevented a mass plunge. Passenger Amit Das, 28, a student from Bihar, described: “It was like dominoes, but no one trampled—we held hands to steady.” The fall lasted 10 seconds, with the last victim, 62-year-old Ram Prasad Yadav, a vendor, sustaining bruises on his back. Station Master Amit Singh, monitoring from the control room, hit the emergency button at 5:31 PM, broadcasting: “Stay calm, do not rush—help arriving.” Unfolds: Rush’s ripple, slip’s spark, stampede’s shadow evaded.
Casualties and Injuries: 8 Affected, All Stable
The incident’s human cost was contained to 8 injuries, a fortunate outcome given the potential for worse in the crowded junction. The victims, aged 22 to 62, comprised 5 women and 3 men from West Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand, en route for Diwali. Sita Devi, the 45-year-old homemaker who initiated the fall, suffered a Colles’ fracture in her right wrist and abrasions on her arms from the impact; her 22-year-old daughter Priya escaped with a sprained ankle and mild shock. Rajesh Kumar, 38, the software engineer, twisted his left knee upon colliding with Sita; Lakshmi Mandal, 55, a housewife from Asansol, incurred bruised ribs and a contusion on her shoulder.
The three men—Vikram Singh, 30, a daily wage laborer from Burdwan; Amit Das, 28, a student from Patna; and Ram Prasad Yadav, 62, a vegetable vendor from Asansol—sustained lacerations, sprains, and back strains respectively. Dr. S.K. Roy, head of orthopedics at BMCH, confirmed in a 9 AM briefing on October 13: “All 8 are stable with superficial injuries—no internal bleeding or fractures requiring surgery. Seven will be discharged by evening, one overnight for observation.”
The injured were ferried to BMCH, 4 km from the station, within 15 minutes, with railway doctors providing on-site first aid. Casualties: Affected’s ache, stability’s salve in swift care.
Rescue Operations: Railway Staff’s Swift Intervention
Rescue at Bardhaman Junction was a showcase of preparedness, mobilizing within 90 seconds of the 5:30 PM fall to avert escalation. Station Master Amit Singh, spotting the tumble on the CCTV feed, triggered the public address system at 5:31 PM: “Remain calm, assistance en route—do not push on the bridge.” The Railway Protection Force (RPF)’s 15 on-duty personnel, drilled in crowd management, formed a human cordon by 5:32 PM, ushering 180 commuters off the bridge in orderly groups of 20, preventing secondary slips.
By 5:33 PM, the first of 3 State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams from Burdwan (45 members) arrived with stretchers, oxygen kits, and neck braces, extracting the 8 injured in 4 minutes. The 108 ambulance service, dispatched at 5:31 PM, arrived with 4 vehicles by 5:36 PM, transporting the casualties to BMCH in 8 minutes despite traffic snarls on NH-19. On-platform medics, equipped with trauma kits, stabilized shock with IV fluids and painkillers, while RPF cleared debris from the stairs.
Eastern Railway GM Kaustav Mukherjee commended the response: “Our 90-second protocol saved the situation—no stampede thanks to discipline and drills.” Operations: Intervention’s immediacy, rescue’s resolve.
Cause of the Incident: Wet Stairs Amid Festive Overload
The root cause, per Eastern Railway’s October 13 preliminary inquiry, was the wet stairs on the foot-overbridge, rendered slippery by a 12 mm shower at 5:10 PM and residual soap from passengers’ ablutions, compounded by festive overload pushing the bridge 25% beyond capacity. The structure, a 150-meter steel span installed in 2018 with anti-slip tiles, exhibited 7% wear per the September 2025 audit, with loose grouting on 10 steps exacerbating the slip.
Festive frenzy factored: Diwali travel inflated footfall 35% to 65,000 daily, platforms at 75% occupancy during the 5:25 PM Rajdhani-Kalka overlap. No structural flaw—rails intact—but overcrowding (bridge rated 120, used by 150) and wet conditions created the perfect storm. Cause: Stairs’ slick, overload’s omen.
Government and Official Response: Vaishnaw’s Vigilance and Banerjee’s Bolster
Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, briefing the Lok Sabha at 11:30 AM on October 13, vowed a “comprehensive investigation within 48 hours,” announcing Rs 2.5 lakh ex-gratia to the injured and Rs 75,000 for medical expenses. “Vande Bharat’s safety is unparalleled—this isolated slip will be rectified with system-wide audits,” Vaishnaw affirmed, ordering 500 foot-overbridge inspections nationwide by October 20.
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee toured BMCH at 10:30 AM, pledging Rs 1.75 lakh state aid and lambasting “central government’s rail mismanagement.” Compensation: Vigilance’s vow, bolster’s balm.
Historical Context: Foot-Overbridge Failures in Indian Railways
Indian Railways’ foot-overbridges have been fraught with failures, 55 incidents since 2018 per CAG audits, 25% in West Bengal. Bardhaman’s 2021 collapse injured 6, Howrah’s 2023 panic 15. Historical: Failures’ file, bridges’ burden.
Community Impact: Disruption, Distress, and Determination
Bardhaman’s 3.5 lakh feel the fallout, 7,000 commuters delayed, schools adjacent closing October 14. Distress: Sita Devi’s family in Durgapur huddles, Rs 20,000 lost in medical. Determination: Burdwan Relief NGOs distributed 1,500 meals, locals raising Rs 7 lakh for injured.
Impact: Disruption’s dent, distress’s depth, determination’s dawn.
Implications for Railway Safety: Festive Urgency and Upgrades
The incident spotlights festive frailties: 45% overcrowding surges, per IRCTC, demanding AI sensors on bridges. Vaishnaw’s Rs 3.5 lakh crore Amrit Bharat includes 600 upgrades by 2027. Implications: Safety’s siren, system’s stir for festive fortification.
Conclusion
October 13, 2025, reflects on Bardhaman’s foot-overbridge fall, 8 injured in a 5:30 PM slip, no stampede’s salvation. From stairs’ slick to system’s scrutiny, the mishap mirrors maintenance’s mandate. As Vaishnaw vows vigilance and Banerjee bolsters, Bardhaman’s brush calls for caution’s crown—rails’ resilience, riders’ relief.