Nurses warn of another shaky bridge, this one inside CSMT premises

The remains of the bridge that collapsed outside CSMT were demolished on Friday. Pic/Ashish Raje

After the foot overbridge collapse at CSMT, some nurses of GT hospital have raised a red flag about its extension, in the station premises. This is the part that commuters would walk on before heading outside to the part of the bridge that fell.

The nurses, who lost three of their colleagues in the incident, want that part to be shut and repaired as they claim it shakes and is unsafe. However, the CR spokesperson said the bridge is completely safe, and there is no need to panic.

Nurses of GT Hospital claim that the extension of the bridge, which has a footfall of thousands, gives them the feeling that it might come down anytime. They claim it vibrates extensively when trains depart or arrive at CSMT.

'Shaky bridge'
Divyata Shende, one of the nurses, said, "Today it was our colleagues. Tomorrow it might be me. What does the government do for our safety? Absolutely nothing. The north end of the bridge which is inside railway premises, shakes miserably. We walk on it scared all the time that it too might fall like the part on the road. This bridge should be shut down and repaired."

Another nurse, Yashodha Darudem, said, "The problem is that nobody is serious about our lives. Every day we leave our families to care for others, no doubt it is our job, but it is also the government's job to ensure our safety, which is compromised every time. From 7.45pm to 8.46 pm there is no fast train from CSMT, and there is utter chaos on the bridge, as many people wait at the FOB to know which train to take next. The bridge shakes a lot."

On Thursday, many locals and passersby had pointed out that the bridge, which collapsed, was also showing signs of giving away. There were reports that some had felt few parts coming down and within few minutes the bridge collapsed.

Also Read: CST bridge collapse: People shot videos instead of helping us, says survivor

CPRO says
When asked about the nurses concerns, however, Sunil Udasi, Central Railway Public Relations Officer, said, "According to the structural audit that we did about 6 months back through IIT-Bombay, apart from regular maintenance, the structure is safe and there is nothing to panic about."

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