Kannur: A young woman traveling on the Mangaluru Central-Nagercoil Junction Parasuram Express train collapsed on Monday. The incident happened during a stoppage in Thikkodi, apparently to allow the passage of the Vande Bharat (20631) and Jamnagar-Kochuveli trains. The student, journeying from Thalassery to Kozhikode, fainted due to suffocation caused by overcrowding.

In the past six months, 22 passengers have fainted on this train, which persistently experiences delays on its route to Kannur amidst heavy congestion. The majority of these cases involved women. During January and February alone, eight female students fainted aboard the train.

Earlier, the railway ministry assured authorities, including the Human Rights Commission, that measures would be taken to address congestion issues on the Parasuram Express. However, no significant action was taken, and additional coaches were not added to the train. Officials cited insufficient platform length at Nagercoil as a constraint preventing the addition of extra coaches. Similarly, the train service continue to be disrupted to accommodate the passage of trains including Vande Bharat.

Health experts have advised female passengers to eat breakfast before boarding the train. Skipping breakfast can lead to a drop in blood glucose levels, according to Dr. K. T. Unnikrishnan. He also noted that overcrowding reduces oxygen levels, contributing to passengers collapsing during the journey.