Metro services severely disrupted after suicide at Chandni Chowk Stn

Kolkata: Metro services on the Blue Line (Dakshineswar-Kavi Subhash) were severely disrupted on Monday after a middle-aged man died by suicide by jumping in front of an oncoming Dakshineswar-bound Metro at Chandni Chowk station.

The tragic incident occurred at 12:12 pm, leading to a power block and subsequent rescue operation by Metro Railway authorities. As a result, services between Girish Park and Maidan on both the Up and Down lines were halted for more than two hours. Truncated services operated between Dakshineswar and Girish Park and between Maidan and Kavi Subhash stations. Normal operations resumed at 2:24 pm after the recovery of the man’s body.

The disruption caused significant inconvenience to passengers, especially as the incident occurred on the first working day of the week. A large number of commuters were forced to seek alternative modes of transportation, overwhelming the buses and leading to exorbitant fare demands from cab drivers. Many passengers reported delays and overcrowding in the truncated operations of the Metro. Heavy traffic congestion on Central Avenue added to the woes of passengers exiting from Chandni Chowk and Central Metro stations. The situation was similarly challenging around Maidan and Park Street Metro stations.

In recent months, there have been several suicide attempts at various Metro stations in Kolkata. On October 23, 2024, a woman died by suicide at the Chandni Chowk Metro station, leaving her seven-year-old child on the platform. Although Metro authorities installed guard rails at the platform edges in Kalighat station, commuters question their effectiveness in preventing suicide.