Representative image.
Credit: DH Photo
A man sustained a head injury after attempting suicide at a metro station in southwestern Bengaluru on Monday night, disrupting train services on the Purple Line for over half an hour.
The incident occurred at 8.56 pm at the Hosahalli metro station on Magadi Road. The man was taken to the nearest hospital for treatment, Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) said in a statement.
The man has been identified as Sagar, a Bengaluru native in his mid-30s. He jumped onto the middle of the tracks and was struck by an approaching train.
"He is conscious and has a head injury. Our priority was to get him to the hospital," BL Yashavanth Chavan, the BMRCL's Chief Public Relations Officer, told DH.
Yashas, a metro passenger, tweeted that he was inside the train and the doors did not open at the Hosahalli station, noting, "We are hearing (a) loud noise outside."
S Girish, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West), stated that the victim had been suffering from depression. "He has a minor head injury and is out of danger," he added.
Following the incident, the BMRCL shut train services at six metro stations — KSR Bengaluru, Magadi Road, Hosahalli, Vijayanagar, Attiguppe and Deepanjali Nagar — for over 30 minutes.
During this period, trains operated only between Mysuru Road and Challaghatta, and Majestic and Whitefield (Kadugodi). By 9:30 pm, train services on the entire Purple Line were restored.
Third incident
This was the third suicide or suicide attempt at a metro station in Bengaluru this year.
On January 5, a 23-year-old man from Kerala jumped onto the metro track as soon as a train arrived at the Jalahalli station. He suffered head injuries but survived.
On March 21, a 19-year-old student from the National Law School of India University (NLSIU) died after jumping onto the tracks at the Deepanjali Nagar station.
These incidents have prompted calls to install platform screen doors/gates (PSDs/PSGs) at metro stations. However, the BMRCL is unlikely to heed the demand due to the high costs and technical challenges involved.
PSDs/PSGs are synchronised with train movements and designed to prevent people from jumping onto the tracks. They also result in energy savings due to lower air-conditioning requirements at underground stations.
Many metro stations in Delhi, Mumbai and Chennai have PSDs/PSGs.
According to the BMRCL, installing PSDs/PSGs at existing stations would require re-evaluating design aspects and retrofitting. The process would also entail shutting down existing stations for many days.
The BMRCL has installed railings on one platform at the Majestic interchange station to ensure overcrowding does not result in accidents. It plans to install railings at all busy stations.
PSDs/PSGs will be installed at 18 stations on the Pink Line and 31 stations on the Blue Line (Silk Board-KR Pura-Airport).