Andheri bridge collapse: Motorman saves hundreds from getting crushed

Chandrashekhar Sawant saw cables fall and applied emergency brakes in time. Pic/Rane Ashish

If you were on the 7.06 am Churchgate slow yesterday, you owe your life to Chandrashekhar Sawant. The alert motorman, most probably the first one to spot the sign of impending disaster, saved hundreds of passengers by mere seconds.

By the skin of their teeth
"The train left Borivli station at 7.06 am and pulled in at platform number 5 at Andheri around 7.30 am," he said, adding that barely had he moved the train out of the platform, when he saw a few cables fall from the bridge. "The train was moving slow, and within seconds, the entire portion came down."

Chandrashekhar Sawant

Sawant immediately applied the emergency brakes, bringing the train to a halt mere 15 feet away from the bridge. "Just three seconds later we would have been under the bridge," he said, shuddering at the memory and close call.

On Harbour
Just then, another train had entered Harbour platform 2 from CSMT. Motorman S M Gamre said they saw the portion come down seconds after the train from CSMT entered the platform, having passed from under the bridge. "A frightened guard alerted us..." said Gamre, adding, "I was supposed to run the next trip to CSMT, but there was no chance of going ahead because of debris on tracks." Sawant and Gamre then made announcements in their respective trains to calm the commuters.

Also read: Mumbai Rains: Part of Andheri bridge collapses, five injured

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates