Hundreds of metro passengers trapped in tunnel

Kolkata, June 23 (IANS) Hundreds of passengers in a Kolkata metro train were trapped in a tunnel between Park Street and Maidan stations Monday following a technical snag, sparking panic.

Passengers said several people suffered from breathlessness and fell sick but the metro authorities denied this.

The incident happened before noon when a metro train bound for Dum Dum developed a snag in the tunnel after leaving the Maidan station.

"We were stranded in the dark for over two hours. There was no current. As the fans didn't work, we felt suffocated. Some fell sick," said a passenger in the train which is not air-conditoned.

"It was a horrible experience. Physically we felt exhausted and breathless. There were no lights. And there were no timely announcements about how they planned to rescue us," said another passenger.

Later, Metro authorities brought out the passengers from the train to the Park Street station.

Television cameras showed a trapped passenger apparently suffering from suffocation being carried by other passengers to the station.