(This story originally appeared in on Oct 04, 2017)

One of the survivors of the Elphinstone Road station stampede , 19-year-old Shilpa Vishwakarma, told the railway inquiry panel on Tuesday that the tragedy may have been triggered by panic that set in after some commuters mistook the word “phool” (flower in both Hindi and Marathi) for “pul” ( bridge in both Hindi and Marathi).Vishwakarma, who said she was stuck in the middle of the staircase on Friday as the crowds on the stairs and the bridge rapidly swelled, told the panel that a flower-seller had slipped on the stairs and said loudly, “Phool gir gaya”. “Some heard it as ‘pul’ (bridge) and thought the bridge had fallen,” she said.In the chaos that followed, Vishwakarma, an Elphinstone Road resident who was trying to go up the stairs as she wanted to board a train to attend coaching classes in Vile Parle, fell and was trampled on by some people but was immediately pulled out by a man in the crowd.He however died, Vishwakarma said. Vishwakarma herself suffered injuries to her hands, legs, back and stomach. She was rushed by locals to KEM Hospital but was discharged the same evening.The three-member probe panel headed by Western Railway’s chief security officer began its inquiry into the stampede on Monday. Vishwakarma was the only survivor to appear before it on the first day.Railway staffers deputed at Elphinstone Road gave their statements, and an ordinary Mumbaikar too had turned up to offer his suggestions. The probe will continue, with the committee asking WR officials to visit KEM Hospital to record statements of those injured who are still there.Describing the scene on the bridge just before tragedy struck, Vishwakarma told TOI, “While I was caught in the middle of the staircase, there was pressure from the top (from the bridge) as well as from below (the exit) as many commuters did not want to get out of the station because of the rain. Many women were decked in traditional attire for Navaratri and were reluctant to get wet.”Dadar police, who are conducting their own inquiry into the matter, have recorded statements of around 20 witnesses so far. Four witnesses have corroborated Vishwakarma’s theory about the cause of the stampede, said an officer. Police are yet to reach any conclusion though, as more witness statements are to be recorded. They also are studying videos shot by passengers.Meanwhile, multidisciplinary audit teams comprising officials from the railways, BMC and security agencies visited many stations on WR and Central Railway to identify problems and suggest solutions to commuter hardships. Railway minister Piyush Goyal had ordered the audit during the safety review he conducted during the weekend. WR has set up 5 teams and the CR 8 for the purpose. Both will submit their report by October 8.A WR spokesperson said, “13 stations -- Churchgate, Marine Lines, Matunga Road, Mahim, Vile Parle, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Bhayander, Naigaon, Virar, Palghar and Dahanu -- were inspected by these audit teams during the morning and evening peak hours.” On CR, the team visited 8 stations: Parel, Dadar, Currey Road, Thane, Kalva, Diva, Kopar and Thakurli.