new delhi: Men are more likely to be involved in fatal train accidents and get killed on railway tracks than women, according to the latest data available with the Delhi Police, which shows that over 100 men were killed by trains on tracks in and around Delhi and 17 women were killed in similar accidents this year till July.
According to the data related to trace inquest found on railway tracks, 108 men became victims of train accidents in various stations of the Capital. In January-18, February-34 and in March-22 such cases were reported. During the complete lockdown, five such cases were reported in April and seven in May. In June-13 and July-9 incidents were reported.
According to a senior official, the reason might be that men are more likely to walk on tracks and catch running trains in a rush. "For example, comparing the workforce in factories, the men are more, comparing women. They move around the tracks to reach quickly to another place which results in such mishaps. There are also cases where some people became victims when they were trying to shoot videos," an official said.
Among the 17 seventeen women who were killed in train accidents in Delhi this year, four cases were reported in January and February each. No such case was reported in April and June and in March, May and July-three, one and five such accidents were reported from different railway stations.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Railways) Harendra Kumar Singh told Millennium Post that they regularly create awareness among people not to cross tracks. "We have also enhanced our patrolling on tracks to curb any kind of untoward incidents," he said.
Meanwhile, one Railway Protection Force (RPF) official said that in many instances, they have also noticed that before the train stopped at a railway station, male passengers jump from the moving train which is "totally unsafe". "We have witnessed several cases where male passengers were mowed down by trains while catching running trains," the RPF official added. Another official said women who live near railway tracks often become vulnerable when they try to cross tracks.
The data further shows that as many as 92 unidentified bodies of men (UIDBs) were recovered in seven months in which 24 were traced and 68 are yet to be traced whereas nine female UIDBs were found in which only one was traced.
DCP Singh further said that while handling UIDBs, their personnel use PPE coverall, masks, gloves and only then do they handle the situation. "We also have a specialised vehicle to carry the UIDBs in case ambulances are not available, we manage on our own. The vehicle is modified as there is a partition between the driver and the body. After handling over the body the whole vehicle and staff are sanitised," he said.