Odisha: Collapse at under-construction Cuttack railway station, 1 injured

A portion of a wall and a platform shed at Cuttack railway station in Odisha collapsed on Wednesday during ongoing redevelopment work. A person sustained minor injuries and train services were temporarily affected.

The incident took place around 3:45 p.m. at platform number one.

According to an officer of the East Coast Railway (ECoR), the wall collapse caused the roof of a shed to cave in and fall onto the tracks, disrupting movement on Platforms 1 and 2.

The ECoR issued a statement noting, “During redevelopment works at Cuttack railway station, some construction work was being carried out with adequate safety precautions. Unfortunately, at 3:45 p.m., an old wall collapsed onto the platform, temporarily hampering train movement on Platforms 1 and 2.”

Restoration work began immediately after the incident, and the railway authority stated that the lines are expected to be cleared soon. According to an eyewitness, the structure collapsed shortly after a Vande Bharat train passed through the platform — a narrow escape of mere minutes.

STORY | Wall, shed collapse in Cuttack station during redevelopment work; no casualty

A portion of a wall, and a shed of a platform in Odisha's Cuttack railway station collapsed during ongoing redevelopment work on Wednesday, officials said.

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Pradeep Kumar Behra, additional divisional railway manager (ADRM) of the Khurda division, explained, “Redevelopment work has been ongoing at Cuttack station. Dismantling of the old building was being carried out in phases. Due to heavy rain and the large size of the structure, a portion of it collapsed.”

Providing an update on the injured person, Behra said, “It is stated that one person sustained minor injury in the incident and he has been hospitalised.”

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He further added, “The structure that collapsed was very old. As redevelopment work was going on, no public was allowed near that stretch.” He assured that restoration efforts are underway and train services will be restored soon.

Cuttack deputy commissioner of police Khilari Rishikesh Dnyandeo told the press: “Soon after the incident, GRP, Fire Service, RPF and a medical team reached the spot. Now, the restoration work is going on.”

The collapse has raised concerns about safety procedures during large-scale railway redevelopment projects. Officials have indicated that further assessments will be carried out to prevent similar incidents during the ongoing construction.

The incident has raised safety concerns amid the station’s ongoing modernisation project. Railway officials have initiated a structural assessment to ensure that further demolition work can proceed safely.

Meanwhile, this incident in Cuttack is reported at a time when the social media chatter and Opposition leaders have been questioning BJP-led or -backed governments on the issue of widespread infrastructural collapse across the length and breadth of the country — from Jammu and Kashmir to Maharashtra, from Gujarat to Manipur.

With PTI inputs

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