300+ trains run, yet no space to board

EMERGENCY PLAN IMPLEMENTED AS DEVOTEE RUSH OVERWHELMS PRAYAGRAJ

- K Sandeep Kumar

[e-mail] PRAYAGRAJ: Following a holy dip at Sangam, a massive crowd of devotees thronged Prayagraj Junction over the weekend. At 1 pm on Sunday, when the HT team visited to assess the preparedness, the rush on platform numbers 4 and 5 was overwhelming, with special train coaches packed from the gates to the toilets, leaving barely any space to move.

As passengers scrambled to board trains home, security and railway personnel struggled to maintain order. Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel worked tirelessly, blowing whistles and making announcements through hand-held loudspeakers. Passengers standing at the platform's edge were repeatedly moved back for safety, while officials ensured that those hanging onto train gates were brought inside.

Continuous announcements urged passengers to follow safety protocols and board in an orderly manner. However, the sheer volume of the crowd led to chaos each time a train arrived. Despite the best efforts of security personnel, managing the surge of passengers eager to board remained a challenge.