A major accident was narrowly averted at Charbagh Railway Station in Lucknow on Friday morning after a 60–70 foot-long tin shed collapsed on Platform Number 5, injuring a Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE) and two passengers. Railway officials said the incident occurred around 8 am, shortly after an Intercity Express departed from the platform, resulting in fewer passengers being present at the time.
According to officials, the Howrah–Dehradun Express (13037) had already arrived at the platform but was halted before reaching the affected portion after the collapse triggered panic at the station.
The injured were identified as TTE Bhupendra and passengers Abhishek and Sahil. Eyewitnesses said the trio became trapped beneath the fallen structure. Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and police teams rushed to the spot and lifted the collapsed shed to rescue them. All three were shifted to hospital, where Bhupendra was reported to have suffered fractures in both legs.
Senior railway officials, including DRM Sunil Kumar Verma, reached the site soon after the incident. A crane was deployed to remove the damaged portion of the shed and clear the platform area.
Preliminary findings suggest the accident may have been linked to ongoing renovation work at the station. Sources said some support pillars and railings holding the tin shed had reportedly been loosened or removed during renovation, weakening the structure and causing it to collapse.
DRM Verma said an inquiry had been ordered into the incident and strict action would be taken against the agency and railway personnel found responsible.
Reacting to the incident, the Congress party accused the BJP government of promoting a “corruption model” marked by poor-quality construction work and negligence, alleging that public safety was being compromised.
