Yet another victim injured in the water tank collapse at the Burdwan railway station died at the Burdwan Medical College and Hospital today taking the death toll to four. Sudhir Sutradhar. a resident of Collegepara in Memari here had suffered grave injuries when the cast iron made sidewall of a vintage overhead water tank dating back 1890 collapsed and fell on the passengers occupying a platform shed last Wednesday.
Three persons had died and 40 others were injured in the incident, with 34 of them admitted to hospital. Sudhir’s son Gopal said: “My father was waiting for a train to go back to Memari when the disaster happened.” The mishap had occurred at the tank located between platforms 2 & 3 and its health inspection had been done just last 2 December.
The OH tank had capacity of 53,800 gallons. Eastern Railway authorities meanwhile have decided to conduct a thorough inspection of all century old overhead tanks at all Railway Stations. After a primary survey, Eastern Railway has identified 14 such vintage overhead tanks stationed within the platform areas in the stations of its command zone.
At Burdwan Railway Station, another British era OH tank with a capacity of 58,000 Gallons built in 1935 is located at the tail part of the platform No: 8, which too has been brought under the scanner. ER’s engineers and supervisors have decided to employ Laser Photometric Measurement System (LPMS) for correct assessment of the health condition of the old cast-iron tanks. The Railway authorities have also issued notice to certain slum dwellers have been occupying the area below the tank as an impromptu home over the years.