Chaos erupted during peak hours at Dombivli railway station on Tuesday morning after a stray dog bit at least nine commuters — including a Railway Protection Force (RPF) staffer — on the foot overbridge (FOB) and nearby platforms.
The incident occurred between 8.45 am and 9.15 am at the Kalyan-end FOB, which was heavily crowded with office-goers. Adding to the congestion, several hawkers were seen occupying portions of the bridge, further hindering the flow of passengers.
This correspondent was capturing photos of the hawkers and speaking with a senior RPF officer at the station. After mid-day contacted Hema Mumbarkar, assistant commissioner of the KDMC’s F ward, and informed her of the vendor obstruction, she promptly dispatched her team to the location to clear the area.
A commuter shows his trousers, which were ripped by the canine
Moments later, a male RPF constable and two women officers arrived at the FOB. Without any warning, a stray dog lunged at the male officer and bit him. Within minutes, the same dog attacked five to six other unsuspecting commuters, creating panic among the crowd.
As the RPF team moved to assist with the 8.59 am AC fast local at platform 5, this correspondent followed the stray as it crossed the FOB, aggressively barking and confronting other dogs along the way. The dog then descended the staircase towards platforms 3 and 4, where it reportedly bit three to four more people before finally settling near the Kalyan end of platform 3.
Assistant Station Manager Bittu Gupta confirmed that an 18-year-old commuter, Arshad Shaikh, was among the victims. “He came to our office with visible bite marks. We immediately referred him to KDMC’s Shastri Nagar Hospital,” Gupta said. “I have contacted the KDMC [Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation] dog squad to locate and capture the animal.”
Dog disappears
Later in the day, Gupta confirmed that the dog squad visited the station and searched all platforms. However, they were unable to locate the dog. “They told us they will return later in the evening to try again and ensure the dog receives proper medical attention,” he said.
