Elphinstone stampede: Railways not celebrating Dussehra

Mumbai: There was no pre-festival illumination of the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) as railway employees joined the city in mourning the Elphinstone Road station tragedy by not celebrating Dussehra festival.

Late last night Mumbaikars took out a candle march on the Elphinstone railway bridge and prayed for the departed souls.

“Yes, it is true that the railway officials, employees, workers are not celebrating Dussehra today in the wake of the tragic incident that took place yesterday.

“All our staff, officers are saddened and they have spontaneously taken a call not to celebrate Dussehra,” the chief spokesperson of Western Railway Ravinder Bhakar said.

At least 22 people died and over 30 were injured in the stampede that took place on a narrow foot-over-bridge (FoB) that connects the Elphinstone Road on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line.

Chief spokesperson of Central Railway Sunil Udasi said the Central Railway employees are also not celebrating the festival today.

He said, “It is a call taken by railway employees and officers on their own not to celebrate the festival owing to the tragic incident.”

While the CSMT station is illuminated ahead of every festival, the building wore a gloomy look last night.