A 24-year-old woman passenger lost her right hand during an accident which occurred at the Ayala Avenue station of Metro Railway Transit (MRT-3) in Makati City Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities said the woman, identified as Angeline Fernando, was rushed to the Makati Medical Center after the incident.
Citing reports from an MRT station supervisor, Transportation Undersecretary Cesar Chavez said the incident happened around 2:30 pm at the northbound side of the train station.
Chavez said the woman fell out of balance into the platform and her hand was caught in a train coupler.
The incident prompted the MRT management to operate half-line or provisional service, carrying passengers only to and from North Avenue station in Quezon City and Shaw Boulevard station in Mandaluyong City.
A number of passengers who witnessed the incident was terrified about the incident. Some even posted their reactions on social media and made comments on what they saw.
“Live na accident sa MRT station si ate nahulog at naputulan ng buong braso niya tapos pinipilit niyang umakyat kahit isa na lang iyung braso nya,” said a facebook user identified only as Ricca.
A Ms. Laride also posted “Kawawa naman si ate naputulan ng braso sa MRT kanina lang. Kitang kita ko pangyayari sana madala agad siya sa ospital.”
The Makati City police is investigating the incident.
The public continues to experience problems riding the MRT-3 aside from enduring long lines at the station for more than one hour before reaching the platform.
Lawmakers are trying to find solution on numerous problems confronting the MRT-3, which officials said, serves more than half a million passengers, more than its capacity of 350,000 per day.
They said MRT trains and railways are vulnerable to breakdown which causes injuries, delays and long lines due to inadequate preventive maintenance, absence of regular inspection, lack of spare parts replacement and readiness in times of accidents and risks.
Commuters group Train Riders Network also cited a study conducted by Advocates of Science and Technology for the People, which showed that MRT-3 appears to be five times more dangerous than the United States’ light rail.
The MRT-3 line started in 1999 with 13 stations commences at North Avenue and ends at Taft Avenue, serving the cities that Epifanio de los Santos Avenue passes through: Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati, and Pasay.
The country’s second rapid transit line in Metro Manila forms part of the rail transport infrastructure, including the Manila Light Rail Transit System composed two lines which are the LRT-1 and MRT-2, and the Metro Commuter Line of the Philippine National Railways.