Rourkela: A tragic incident occurred at Rourkela railway station on Thursday after a wrong announcement by railway staff led to the death of a passenger. The deceased has been identified as Prabodh Ghosh (51), a resident of Bandhamunda.

According to reports, Ghosh, along with his wife, had reached Rourkela station to board the South Bihar Express for AIIMS Raipur, where his wife was to undergo treatment. They had reserved seats in an AC coach.

Before the train’s arrival, an announcement was made that the AC coaches would halt at the front part of the platform. Ghosh took his wife towards the front side of the platform. Moments later, another announcement said that the AC coaches would instead be positioned at the rear part of the platform. In a hurry, Ghosh rushed with his wife to the other end of the platform.

Exhausted from running back and forth, Ghosh collapsed while trying to board the train and fell onto the platform near the coach door. The Railway medical team rushed to the spot and declared him dead after examination. It is being suspected that he might have suffered a cardiac arrest.

The incident triggered tension at the station, with passengers and family members blaming the railway authorities for the negligence. They demanded strict action against those responsible. The GRP later seized the body for a post-mortem.

Eyewitnesses questioned why the train was routed to Platform No. 2 when Platform No. 1 was completely vacant. Passengers alleged that despite Platform No. 1 lying unused for months, trains are frequently diverted to other platforms, causing inconvenience daily.

Following the death, passengers have demanded an impartial and high-level inquiry into the matter.