NEW DELHI: A 57-year-old government employee got maimed after he fell on the metro tracks while waiting on the edge of a platform at Dilshad Garden station on Thursday morning.An initial investigation revealed that Zachariah Koshy, a resident of Shalimar Garden in Ghaziabad, had tripped and landed on the tracks as the train was entering the platform. The train went over his legs. Koshy was immediately taken to GTB Hospital where doctors recommended amputation of both feet. A doctor said Koshy’s right foot got completely segregated from the lower limb while the left foot was also severely damaged. His condition is stated to be serious.Police were informed about the incident by CISF personnel around 9.20am. Koshy’s son, Ajim, was also informed and it was found that Koshy works in the textile ministry and was going to his office.Initially, metro officials presumed it to be another suicide attempt. A police officer said, “We have initiated an inquiry and are scanning CCTV footage to find out how he tripped.” Police will record Koshy’s statement once doctors declare him fit for it.The incident affected operations on the Red Line (Dilshad Garden-Rithala) for around half an hour during the peak morning hours, with the Dilshad Garden-Shahdara stretch being the worst-affected one. Normal services were restored by 10am.According to experts, the accident could have been avoided if the station had platform screen doors , which open and close in sync with train doors and provides a barricade between the platform and the tracks. Apart from Airport Express Line, the newly opened Magenta and Pink lines have these doors at all stations.DMRC had decided to install these doors in only six stations in old corridors, but the project has got delayed as retrofitting such infrastructure in operational stations is difficult. All these stations — Chandni Chowk , Chawri Bazaar, New Delhi, Central Secretariat, Rajiv Chowk and Kashmere Gate — are considered important due to the huge footfall and situated on Yellow Line.

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