A railway shed collapsed at the Cuttack railway station on Wednesday. No casualties was reported.
The massive debris of the shed, including the huge iron bars, fell on platform number one. The incident took place around 3.45pm on Wednesday, fifteen minutes after the Vande Bharat Express had left the platform.
“Had the Vande Bharat Express been there at the station, there would have been a disaster. Besides, no labourer was there when the roof collapsed. It was sheer luck,” said an eyewitness.
Railway authorities maintained that it was a planned demolition and adequate safety measures were taken.
The East Coast Railway in a release said: “During station redevelopment at Cuttack railway station, some construction activity was being carried out with adequate safety precautions. Unfortunately, at 1545 hrs, an old wall collapsed onto the platform, temporarily hampering train movement on platforms 1 and 2. There has been no injury or casualty reported in this incident. Restoration work is already in progress and the lines are expected to be cleared within 45 minutes.”
The renovation of the station is being carried out at a cost of ₹303 crore under the Amrit Station Scheme. The redeveloped station will be a three-storey complex with world-class amenities for passengers including a large food court.