Mumbai Bridge Collapse leaves 5 hurt, hands a hero to a nation
MUMBAI, July 3: Between allegations of faulty design and a tragedy that left five people injured, two critically, the Andheri foot over bridge collapse has also given a hero whose timely action saved hundreds of life. Train driver Chandrashekhar Sawant’s presence of mind prevented, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said, what could have been a much bigger tragedy.
Five people were injured on Tuesday morning when a section of a bridge caved in at Mumbai’s Andheri station. But the tragedy could have been much bigger had it not been for Chandrashekhar Sawant, the driver of the local train that was approaching the station seconds later.
Mr. Sawant saw the foot over bridge collapsing from a distance and quickly applied the emergency brakes.
The local train stopped metres just from the collapsed bridge which had ripped off overhead wires left on the tracks.
Mr. Sawant’s presence of mind prevented, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal said, what could have been a much bigger tragedy.
The minister announced a Rs. 5 lakh reward for motorman Chandrashekhar Sawant who had done his job well.
The driver, however, was modest about his achievement. We are trained for this, he told reporters, nonchalantly.
