Twin suicide attempts stall metro services

KOLKATA: Metro services were disrupted twice during the heavy rush hour of Chaitra sale shopping on Sunday afternoon and evening because of two suicide attempts at different stations within a gap of two and half hours.

At 3.30pm, a 45-year-old woman jumped on the tracks just when a Dum Dum bound train pulled into Esplanade station. The driver applied emergency brakes and the train screeched to a halt in time.

Railway officials switched off the power supply and got down on the tracks to rescue the woman, who had injured her legs. She was later handed over to police who admitted her at SSKM Hospital.

The suicide attempt disrupted metro service from 3.31pm to 4.09pm during which no train ran between Park Street and

Chandni Chowk

stations. Truncated services however operated between

Kavi Subhas

(New Garia) station to Maidan station in the south and Central and Noapara stations in the north.

About an hour later, another 19-year-old youth jumped on the tracks at Geetanjali (Naktala) station, as a Kavi Subhas bound train was to enter the station.
Here too, the alertness of the driver saved the man. The driver was able to slam the brakes in time as it screeched to halt. The man fell in the drain between the two tracks and injured his head and legs. The man brought out from the tracks on to the platform, allegedly sat on the floor with his head when the RPF personnel informed police who took him away to MR Bangur hospital.

Services resumed after 20 minutes at 6.20pm. During this period too, truncated services continued between Tollygunge and Noapara stations.

“We have instructed all drivers to be alert and enter stations at a slow speed so that accidents like these can be averted and the precautionary move worked out today,” said the Metro spokesperson.