South Western Railway dismisses claim of man’s death due to suffocation on train

Bengaluru: South Western Railway (SWR) has dismissed as “false and factually incorrect” a social media claim that a passenger died of suffocation due to overcrowding in a train at Tumakuru railway station.

The clarification came after a video showing an unconscious man being carried on a stretcher at a station went viral on social media. The post accompanying the video alleged that the passenger had died due to suffocation in an overcrowded general compartment.

SWR stated that Malthesh, 37, from Ranebennur, was travelling with his family on Train No. 11022 Chalukya Express when he suffered a sudden medical emergency caused by a pre-existing health condition.

He lost consciousness during the journey. Upon the train’s arrival at Tumakuru station, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel attended to him, administered first aid and shifted him by ambulance to the Government Hospital in Tumakuru, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

SWR also rejected allegations that overcrowding contributed to the incident. Officials said unreserved ticket sales at the preceding boarding stations were relatively low, with 10 tickets issued at Dharmapuri, 40 at Hosur and 40 at SMVT Bengaluru. “These figures indicate that the coaches were operating well below capacity, ruling out any possibility of suffocation due to overcrowding,” it explained.