By Aditi Mishra
A 45-year-old cancer patient died on the Gitanjali Express on October 24, and his body was left on board for almost 12 hours, fellow passengers said.
Passengers said they reported the death to railway officials in the morning, but the body could only be removed when the train arrived at Tatanagar Junction, Jharkhand. The incident also sparked complaints about the long delays, unhygienic conditions, and lack of food and water.
The passenger was Binod Paswan from Bhatpara, West Bengal. He was on his way back home after undergoing cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India Today reported.
The passenger died while on the train on October 24. Fellow passengers say they alerted the train’s Ticket Examiner (TTE) at around 8 am.
However, they claimed the TTE told them that a medical report would need to be produced to confirm the death. Despite this, the passengers say that the body was left in the coach for several hours.
Passengers said that they repeatedly approached railway officials for assistance; however, they were not given a prompt response, according to a report by India Today.
A passenger took to social media at around 7 pm to raise awareness of the situation and tag Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. India Today identified the passenger as Shwati Joshi, who also reportedly lodged a complaint through Rail Madad. A complaint was also lodged via the Rail Madad website. The train finally arrived at Tatanagar Junction at around 8.30 pm, and the body was removed. This meant the body had been left on board for almost 12 hours after being reported to railway officials. The train was also delayed for almost 12 hours, which made the journey difficult.
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Railway officials said they were not alerted until later.
“We got to know around 7.45 pm that a passenger was unconscious” Aditya Chaudhary, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager of Chakradharpur railway division, told India Today.
Once the train arrived at Tatanagar, a doctor examined the passenger and confirmed he was deceased. Chaudhary added that an investigation into the incident was taking place. The difference between statements shared by officials and the passenger’s account raises questions over when the railway officials were actually alerted and the initiatives taken by the officials after they received the information about the incident.
The Ministry of Railways has previously stated that first-aid facilities are available at railway stations and on passenger trains. It has also said that frontline staff, including ticket-checking staff, guards and station masters, are trained to provide first aid. In cases requiring further medical assistance, arrangements can be made for a doctor to attend to a passenger at an en-route station. However, these general provisions do not establish whether railway procedures were followed in this incident.
Passengers also highlighted issues with the conditions on board.
According to India Today reports, passengers complained that the coaches were dirty and the toilets were in a bad condition. They also said it was difficult to find food and water while waiting for such a long time.
Some passengers claimed that they had to purchase food from illegal vendors at high prices. They were specifically concerned about the problems faced by children, elderly passengers, and women.
Kunal Sarangi, a leader of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, also took to social media to highlight the issue and tag the railway minister.
According to Prabhat Khabar, the South Eastern Railway general manager sought a detailed report from the Chakradharpur divisional railway manager within 24 hours following the incident. The report is expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the passenger’s death and the delay in removing his body from the train.
(Rh/AM)