Viral video: Roof damaged by rains part of parking lot, not Ratnagiri station, say Konkan Railway officials

Mumbai: A newly installed roof and cladding damaged due to rains were part of a upcoming parking lot and wasn’t the roof of the Ratnagiri railway station in Maharashtra, officials said on Monday.

A video of the rain-induced damage went viral on social media during the day with claims that it was the roof of the station.

Later in the evening, a PIBFactCheck as well as Konkan Railway refuted such claims.

“Misleading claim by @INCKerala in regards to Ratnagiri Railway Station. The video shown in the tweet is of under construction parking area being developed by PWD, Maharashtra. The station building is intact and there is no impact on train operations,” PIBFactCheck said on X.

@INCKerala is the official X account of the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee.

A Konkan Railway spokesperson said, “The video depicts the parking area outside Ratnagiri station which is in progress and currently undertaken by PWD-Maharashtra and has no impact on train operations. Train operations are fully functional.” The KR spokesperson said Maharashtra PWD is developing a garden, concourse and parking area in Ratnagiri station complex 150-200 meters away from the station building.

“Kindly refrain from spreading misleading information,” the spokesperson added.

The spokesperson said the rail PSU has shared the latest video of the station platforms after the video in question went viral on social media.

Earlier in the day, KR officials said tin sheets were blown away and cladding fell, damaging about 15 to 20 square foot of the roof, amid heavy rains and gusty winds that lashed the region on Sunday evening.

The state department has signed an MoU with the Konkan Railway for the beautification of the façade and entrance of around 36 railway stations.