• Source:JND
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Passengers on the Gaya-Howrah Vande Bharat Express faced a harrowing situation on Tuesday night when the train's doors failed to open upon arrival at Howrah station at 10:30 pm.

An announcement was made on the Passenger Announcement (PA) system stating, "The doors will open on the right side." Passengers lined up, but even after waiting for 10 minutes, the gates remained shut.

As passengers began to panic, they pressed the emergency button but received no assistance. Requests to the pantry car staff were also met with helplessness. The situation escalated when the coach's air conditioning and lights shut down, plunging the car into darkness. This caused children to start crying and women to scream, spreading दहशत throughout the coach.

After a significant delay, the PA system turned back on, announcing, "Passengers, please do not panic. The train doors will be opened manually." The doors were eventually opened manually, allowing the passengers to disembark.

Passenger Questions Emergency Protocols

Rana, a passenger who traveled from Dhanbad to Howrah, questioned the railway's arrangements and shared a video of the incident on X.

He asked why employees are not taught emergency protocols and questioned what the staff's response would be in the event of an actual emergency or disaster. In response, Eastern Railway stated that the matter has been forwarded to the concerned officer.

'Atmosphere Like A General Passenger Train'

Rana also shared his broader travel experience on the premium train, describing the atmosphere inside as being like a "general passenger train."

- Some people were "carelessly watching YouTube and Reels at high volume."

- Women were "shouting on their mobile phones."

- The pantry car staff had left the AC coach doors open, causing the temperature inside to be warm instead of cool.

- He also noted that the helpline numbers provided in the train were "busy" every time he tried to call during the journey.

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