Visually challenged man falls off skywalk in Kalyan due to broken railing

A 50-year-old visually challenged man sustained head injuries after falling off the skywalk near Kalyan railway station on Friday. Babu Talar, the victim, was walking on the skywalk by clutching the railings, but fell off it as the railing was broken. He is undergoing treatment at Kalwa hospital.

A Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) official said he was unaware about the broken railing and assured the spot would be inspected.

The incident took place around 11.45 am, when Talar was walking to Rukminibai Hospital in Kalyan (West). When he was passing through a patch near the parking lot at Kalyan railway station, he collapsed and fell on a parked two-wheeler.

“I was standing near the parking lot when I saw him fall from the skywalk. We realised that he was visually challenged and had fallen off due to the broken railing on the skywalk. Immediately the passerby gathered and took him to Rukminibai civic hospital,” said Darshana Jadhav, 39.

Talar is a resident of Vitthalwadi, Kalyan (East). He sells covers for passport and season tickets on local trains for a living. He has been shifted to Kalwa hospital for further treatment.

“There are many places along the sidewalk where the railings are either absent or broken. Talar fell off the skywalk due to this reason. He has sustained injuries on his head and one of his hands is fractured,” said Venkatesh Shetye, 25, a who took the victim to the hospital.

Shetye, who is also a resident of Kalyam, said they had contacted Talar’s family after shifting him to hospital. He said many citizens have complained in the past about the broken railings on the skywalk, as it could lead to accidents and puts the lives of the commuters at risk.

“I am not aware about the incident and the broken railings on the skywalk. However, I’ll ask the official concerned to carry out an inspection on the skywalk and take action accordingly,” said Pramod Kulkarni, city-engineer, KDMC.