Mumbai: Woman falls off Vaitarna rail bridge; still missing

Bebi Bhoir. Pics/Hanif Patel

A 58-year-old woman from Palghar's Wadhiv village slipped and fell into the Vaitarna creek while walking over the Vaitarna railway bridge Thursday, but is yet to be traced. A search operation by the fire brigade and police and the coastal police is underway. Bebi Bhoir was on her way to Palghar to meet her daughter who was admitted to a hospital. She was supposed to take a train from Virar railway station for which she was walking over the Vaitarna railway bridge in heavy rain and wind. Bhoir lost her balance on the bridge and fell down in the creek. People around her saw this and immediately informed local authorities, said a police officer from Virar police station.

Bhoir lived with her husband and has four daughters and a son. Her youngest daughter, Pushpa Keni was ill and hence admitted to a hospital in Palghar. Bhoir was carrying food for Keni when the incident took place. Her son Nandu Bhoir, 35, said, "The Vaitarna railway bridge is the only way to reach Virar station. People living in villages here cross the railway bridge to reach their destination. This includes hundreds of school children, women, and elderly among other travellers.

The bridge from where Bhoir fell off

"There has been a demand for the construction of a pedestrian bridge for the villagers to reach the town and nearby stations but the public administration has ignored it," he added. A missing person complaint has been registered at the Virar police station and "our search is underway," said senior police inspector Anil Dabde. Local MLA Vilas Tare, however, remained unavailable for comment despite several attempts to reach him. Divisional Railway Manager (Western Railway) Sanjay Mishra said that the railway line and the railway bridge "are made for the movement of the train and not for people to walk on. It is strictly forbidden."

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