17-yr-old student of Mithibai College died after falling off a crowded local between Borivli and Dahisar stations; girl couldn't get medical aid because trains don't stop between stations even if chain is pulled
Maitri Shah
A 17-year-old student of Mithibai College died on Tuesday evening after falling off a crowded local between Borivli and Dahisar stations. A woman who pulled the chain, who also turned out to be the deceased's neighbour, said the train didn't stop until it reached Dahisar station, unnecessarily causing a delay in taking her to hospital.
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Rita D'Souza, the neighbour who pulled the chain
The deceased has been identified as Maitri Shah, a resident of Gokul Park society in Vasai West. She had boarded the local at Borivli station. After doctors at the Kandivli hospital declared her dead, her relatives were informed and the body was sent for an autopsy.
"She was in SYJC (science). Her father Dinesh has a business of manufacturing water slides, for water parks, while her mother is a housewife. Her elder sister had recently finished her BDS," said society chairman Vicky Chhabra.
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"The GRP called around 8 pm and told the family to come to Dr Ambedkar hospital. A few neighbours and I rushed there with her parents and found out what happened. We were told that the person who'd pulled the chain was, in fact, a neighbour, but the train failed to stop."
A pull in vain
The neighbour, Rita D'Souza, said, "It was the 6.11 pm train for Virar, which I had boarded at Churchgate. After the train left Borivli station, I heard people screaming that someone had fallen off. I immediately pulled the chain, but the train didn't stop. It only halted when Dahisar station arrived."
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"I heard people discussing that two people had fallen off… I am not sure about that. The next morning, I saw people gathered in the society. On inquiring, I found out that a girl had died in a train accident the previous day. When I went to see the family to offer my condolences, I came to know that it was the same girl who was on the same train as me," she added.
"Had the train stopped immediately, she would have got medical help quicker. Perhaps, she could have been saved then."
Police speak
Senior inspector from Borivli GRP Shailendar Dhivar said, "We handed the deceased's body over to her family after a post-mortem was conducted in Bhagwati hospital. We have registered an accidental death case; she fell from the moving train between Borivli and Dahisar around 7.15 pm. Further investigation is on."
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