After much investigation and examination of video footage, an inquiry panel headed by the Western Railway’s (WR) chief security officer, has come to the conclusion that rain and not poor infrastructure is to be blamed for the Elphinstone bridge stampede in Mumbai that killed 23 people. The Railways have thus been given the clean chit in the tragic case.

The report on the September 29 tragedy has blamed heavy rain, officials said on Wednesday, and suggested that passengers be prevented from carrying heavy luggage and vendors be restricted during peak hours.

The five-member panel submitted the report to WR general manager Anil Kumar after recording the statements of 30 commuters who were injured.

“The incident was caused due to panic and confusion created on the bridge coupled with rains. No one can be held responsible for it,” Ravinder Bhaker, chief public relations officer of WR, said, The Indian Express reported.

According to the panel’s report, rains forced people outside at the ticket counters to rush to the already jammed overbridge for cover, then the constant flow of passengers arriving at the station compounded the problem. It says people with heavy luggage apparently lost their balance, because of which the stampede may have occurred. The investigation did not find any witness supporting the claim that a short circuit on the overbridge led to the chaos.