Railway blames passenger for berth fall, injury on Chennai-Palakkad express
The Railways has released a clarification regarding a berth collapse on a train that injured a woman passenger. The woman is reported to have suffered a head injury when the middle berth of a sleeper coach gave way while she was travelling on the Dr MGR Chennai Central-Palakkad Express.The incident took place on May 12, shortly after the train passed Jolarpettai station in Tamil Nadu, while the passenger was asleep in the lower berth. At the time of the mishap, the middle berth was unoccupied.advertisementIn a press release issued on the same day, the Southern Railway stated: 'The unfortunate incident appears to have occurred due to improper handling of the chain link hook by the passenger,' suggesting that the locking mechanism may not have been secured properly.
Southern Railway officials confirmed that the passenger declined medical attention when the train was near Morappur, the nearest station, and instead deboarded later at Salem station. The station master at Salem arranged for an ambulance, and she was rushed to the Government Hospital in Salem at around 3.05 am. According to officials, the woman has since been discharged after receiving treatment.A team of railway officials inspected the coach and found that the chain and hook used to hold the middle berth in place were working properly and met safety standards. The berth would only unlock if lifted more than 2.5 centimetres, which is normal. The coach had already gone through a full check-up in March 2025 and did not need any more repairs. Before the train left Chennai on May 12, it was also checked again and declared fit for travel.advertisementThe Railways reiterated that all coach maintenance protocols had been followed, and placed the onus of the accident on user error. 'Passenger safety is a shared responsibility,' the press note added, urging passengers to properly secure middle berths using the designated chain link hook to prevent such incidents.Southern Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer M Senthamil Selvan concluded the statement with an appeal: 'Passengers are kindly requested to ensure that the middle berth is properly secured using the chain link hook after use. Improper handling or failure to lock the berth correctly may pose safety risks to fellow passengers.'
IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu#Kerala
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