The Ministry of Railways has constituted a high-level committee to investigate why there was a delay of 18 months in issuing a tender for a new foot overbridge at Mumbai’s Elphinstone Road station, ANI reported on Wednesday. The panel will be chaired by former Central Vigilance Commissioner Pratyush Sinha, and the report is expected to be submitted within three months.

On September 29, twenty-three people had died in a stampede on a foot overbridge between Mumbai’s Elphinstone Road and Parel railway stations. Days later, reports said that the tender inviting bids to construct a new foot overbridge at the station was put out on the day of the tragedy.

Former Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu had approved the proposal for a new bridge in April 2015. The cost estimates were confirmed by the finance department on August 22 this year, and uploaded online on September 29. The new foot overbridge is expected to be 12-metres wide.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Western Railways cleared its officials and blamed rain, panic and rumours for the stampede.