A 70-year-old man died on Tuesday after a wall of a washroom collapsed in the second-class passengers’ waiting room at platform number 1 at Patna railway station.
The man, Veer Bahadur Singh, was a resident of Vishunpur area of Mahnar in neighbouring Vaishali district. He was to catch a train from Patna to Kolkata. A ticket of the Howrah-Patna Jan Shatabdi Express was found in his pocket.
Eyewitnesses said he was sitting inside the waiting room before going to the washroom. Suddenly, a wall of the toilet fell on him and he succumbed to his injuries.
Some other passengers too are believed to have been injured in the incident. The rail authorities have not confirmed any injuries yet.
According to railway officials, renovation work going on inside the toilet and a display board reading “under repair” was put up outside.
“The toilet at the second-class waiting hall had been closed for use owing to the repair work that began on Sunday. The doors of the washroom were removed to prevent people from using it. It is shocking that the victim tried to use the washroom despite the warnings displayed outside,” said Sanjay Prasad, Public Relations officer, Danapur railway division.
JE suspended
He later told journalists that the railway department has put junior engineer Ashok Kumar under suspension following the wall collapse incident.
“A probe has been initiated into the incident and the railway department has decided to provide an ex gratia of ₹15,000 to the deceased’s family,” he added.
