Surat stampede: 1 dead, several injured, police perform CPR on passengers who fainted

Trigger warning: Some of the visuals may be distressing. Viewers' discretion is advised.

A 40-year-old man died and two others were hospitalised following a stampede at Surat railway station in Gujarat on Saturday which saw a crowd of passengers trying to board Bihar-bound special Tapti Ganga Express train ahead of Diwali and Chhath festival, Superintendent of Police (Western Railway) Sarjo Kumari said.

Amid the rush, several passengers suffered panic attacks and dizziness. One of the passengers suffered a heart complication, and a policeman present on the platform performed CPR on him before he was rushed to a hospital in an ambulance, the official added. But visuals circulating on social media showed many other police officers performing CPR on other people who appeared to have collapsed during the stampede.
Meanwhile, authorities have identified the Surat stampede victim as Ankit Virendra Singh. The exact cause of death will be ascertained in the post-mortem examination. Two other passengers suffered breathlessness and are undergoing treatment, said Jayesh Patel, the resident medical officer of SMIMER Hospital.

Many workers engaged in the diamond and textile industries in Surat travel to their hometowns in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh for Chhath puja and Diwali festival.

Talking to reporters in Navsari, Minister of State for Home Harsh Sanghavi said the police tried their best to control the crowd after a sudden increase in the number of passengers on the platform to board the Bihar-bound train. He added that he would visit the railway station soon.