13 killed in stampede at Mughalsarai rly station

Chandauli, UP, Oct 3: At least 13 persons were killed and about 40 injured in a stampede at the Mughalsarai railway station near here today, police said.

Most of the deceased and injured were said to be from Bihar. They included several women.

According to the police, the stampede took place on an overcrowded overbridge at the railway station when three trains arrived simultaneously. ''Passengers trying to switch over the trains had crowded the overbridge which resulted in the incident,'' SP (Chandauli) Pravin Kumar told reporters at the site of the incident.

At least 40 were injured in the incident...''They have been admitted to the Loco (railway) hospital,'' the SP added.

The police believe that most of the dead were from Bihar and had alighted the Gaya-Mughalsarai passenger train on platform number 5.

Meanwhile, District Magistrate (Chandauli) P R Mishra said most of the victims had choked to death. ''The injured are being treated at the hospital. If need be, we will shift them to a bigger medical facility,'' he added.

The Mughalsarai railway station is a key junction on the Delhi-Howrah rail route and comes under the East-Central railway.

UNI