New Delhi, June 20 (IANS) A hoax snake sighting in a Delhi Metro coach led to pandemonium as panic-struck passengers in the ladies-only coach climbed onto seats and looked to escape to other coaches for safety. An inspection of the coach later led to the recovery of a baby lizard, an official said on Friday.

A video of the chaotic developments in the coach of a Blue Line train went viral on social media on Thursday, with some passengers seen shrieking in fright in the video before evacuation.

The video also shows one of the passengers pressing the emergency stop button, bringing the train to a halt for everyone to deboard at the Akshardham Metro station.

The chaos lasted a few minutes after one of the commuters raised an alarm, claiming that she had spotted a ‘snake’s tail’, said an official.

Though none of the passengers could see the ‘reptile’, many women travellers were frightened and took evasive measures – like climbing the steel seats – to avoid contact with the ‘snake’.

Head of Delhi Metro’s communications department, Anuj Dayal, said, “A video is in wide circulation, where although the snake is not visible in the video, it is being purportedly claimed that a ‘snake’ was spotted in a ladies-only coach. The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) took immediate action upon receiving the alert from the passengers in the coach on Thursday evening.”

“The train was vacated at the Akshardham Metro station and sent to the depot for thorough inspection. Despite a meticulous check of the train footage and coach at the depot by the concerned team, no snake was found. However, a baby lizard was spotted during the inspection,” he said.

He also assured passengers about DMRC’s commitment to passenger safety, saying that even in this case swift action was taken to address the concerns of the travellers.

“We urge passengers to remain vigilant and report any such concerns to our staff for prompt action,” he said.

–IANS

rch/rad