An enquiry report on a stampede at the New Delhi railway station last month in which five people were killed and 10 injured has not blamed anyone for the incident.
The stampede occurred Nov 13 when a woman passenger fell down on the steps of an overbridge leading to a railway platform and people rushing past fell over her, in the process pushing down and injuring others in their haste to get into a train leaving for Bihar.
The enquiry by a committee led by the general manager of the Northern Railways "revealed that the incident could only be taken as an unfortunate isolated incident and there was no lapse on anybody's part, which would have caused the lady passenger to fall", Railway Minister Lalu Prasad said Thursday.
Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, he said, "The committee held no one responsible for the incident."
Asked if unlimited unreserved tickets, far beyond the capacity of the Bihar-bound train, were responsible for the incident, the minister said: "The issue of unreserved tickets cannot be linked to the carrying capacity of a specific train."
Pointing out that the incident had taken place during festival time when people were rushing to reach Bihar, Lalu Prasad said steps were being taken to avert such incidents in future due to overcrowding.
To decongest the major stations, alternative platforms would be provided for origination and termination of holiday special trains, the minister said.
-Indo-Asian News Service