‘Domino effect’ on board MRT; passengers fall as train comes to grinding halt

MRT3 Shaw Boulevard Station (Photo courtesy of UrbanRail)

MANILA, Philippines—An executive of local news source, the Inquirer, said that some passengers on board a southbound Metro Rail Transit (MRT) “fell like dominoes” when the train suddenly came to an abrupt stop; not once, but twice on Tuesday morning.

Connie Kalagayan, corporate communications chief of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, was on board the train when the it twice came to a sudden stop between GMA-7-Kamuning and Santolan stations.

“The safety handle which I was holding on and shared by another passenger broke due to the force of the brake.

Some passengers fell like dominoes,” Kalagayan said.

In compliance with standard operating procedures when malfunctions occur, the passengers were ordered to get off the train, alighting at the Santolan station at approximately 10 am of February 17.

Although no further details were made available at the time of this writing, the MRT command center confirmed with reporters from the Inquirer that the train did experience a technical problem.