At least 23 people were killed after a stampede at a train station in Mumbai on September 29th. Due to a unexpected rainstorm, commuters gathered together on a pedestrian bridge to shelter themselves from the rain. According to the new article website, Independent, the stampede started from a misunderstanding of a phrase said by a flower seller after their cart had turned over. Witness told police that people heard, "(the) bridge has fallen" instead of "(the) flowers have fallen". The word for bridge (pul) and flower (phool) may sound similar to people and can easily be misheard in a large crowd. Soon after the shouting, a young girl had slipped on the stairway which may have caused the stampede to start. India is known for their overcrowding in train rides but after this incident, many Indians have voiced their concerns and anger towards the government. Instead of spending money on making new bullet trains, the government should be focusing on fixing the commuting and public train issues.
Sources:
"Mumbai
bridge stampede began when commuters tragically misheard cries of
flower-seller, probe finds". (2017, October 5). Independent. Retrieved
from http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/mumbai-bridge-stampede-police-probe-deaths-flower-seller-a7980976.html
"Stampede at Indian train station kills at least 22". (2017, October 5). The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/stampede-at-indian-train-station-kills-at-least-22/2017/09/29/704154c0-a50a-11e7-8c37-e1d99ad6aa22_story.html?utm_term=.728714330c4d
That is very unfortunate for those people. If you ever look at India and their city streets, it's a chaotic sight. They have tons of people, cycles, motorcycles, carts, livestock, and cars all mixed together. India is a rapidly developing nations and because of that you get two time periods mixed together. It's like you put farmers and live stock in New York City. That would not be a good situation. It's so crowded in those city areas that Ford has a specially developed vehicle just for the Indian market. The doors and bumpers have out skins that can be easily replaced due to all the dings, dents, and scratches they get when driving.
ReplyDeleteVery sad situation indeed. Amazing that a misunderstanding such as this could cause such havoc.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very troubled situation. It is crazy that an error in communication and understanding over flowers could lead to a stampede in Mumbai.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very sad event. I am also surprised that the government is doing little to make fix the public train issues, hopefully the government will start listening to the people more after this event.
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