Two drones from Wankhede show go out of control, hit Churchgate platform and injure commuter

A drone show at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Thursday night ended in an accident when two drones went out of control, flew towards Churchgate railway station and fell on the platform. A passenger waiting for a local train was seriously injured. The incident caused panic and chaos among commuters at the station for some time.

The show had been organised at the stadium by a well-known telecom company, and thousands of people were watching. At around 8.10 pm, two drones suddenly lost technical control. They flew out of the stadium and into the area of the nearby Churchgate station.

One of the drones crashed hard at the Virar-end of Platform No. 3. Hemant Mahotsavkar, 37, who was standing there, was hit directly by it. He suffered serious injuries to his head and forehead and bled heavily.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel reached the spot soon after being informed. Mahotsavkar was given first aid and then, given the seriousness of his condition, taken by ambulance to GT Hospital for further treatment. The station master has sent a formal memo to the GRP for further legal action in the matter.

Railway police have taken both drones into their custody. A case has been registered against unknown persons on charges of negligence.

Police and railway authorities are now examining several questions: which safety rules were ignored during the drone show, how the drones' signals were cut, and how, because of a technical fault at such a large event, the drones reached a crowded railway station.