Four run over by Rajdhani Express near Etawah

At least four people were killed and six others injured after they got hit by the Rajdhani Express near Balrai Railway Station close to Etawah on Monday morning.

The victims were passengers of the Surat-bound Avadh Express that was stopped at the station to allow the Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express to pass, reports said. Some Awadh Express passengers got off the train while it waited for the Rajdhani Express to cross and strayed on to the adjacent track and were overrun by it. Four people were reported to have died on the spot, while six injured were rushed to the Saifai hospital.

The victims have been identified as Jeetu alias Abhishek, 20, Lal Chandra, 18, Surendra Kumar 19, and Pintoo, 20. All of them belonged to Jugrajpur in Kaushambi district and were travelling from Surat from Mumbai. All the injured have been admitted to Tundla and Saifai hospitals.

Rajdhani Express was stopped at a little distance before the accident site, but it was allowed to proceed after 10 minutes. North-Central railway spokesman SK Gupta said the victims tickets of general coach but they had boarded the sleeper coach. They were moving towards the general coach from the wrong side when the accident took place. He also urged the passengers to be careful about their safety.

ALL TALKED TO KIN HOUR BEFORE TRAGEDY

An hour before they met their gruesome end, at Balrai station of Etawah, the four youths of Jugrajpur village of neighbouring Kaushambi district, had talked to a friend, Sunil, and their family members.

All the four youths Surendra, Pintu, Abhishek and Lal Chandra informed Sunil and their family members that they had reached Balrai station of Etawah by Awadh Express safely.

But the youths, who were on their way to Surat after boarding Awadh Express at Kanpur, never knew that this interaction would be their last communication with their friends and family members.

A policeman at the site informed Sunil at nearly 7am that the four youths have died after they had run over by Rajdhani Express. He informed Sunil that he was calling from the mobile phone of Adalti, another youth, who had sustained serious injuries.

“I could not believe my ears. To confirm the news, I again rang the policeman on the same number. He said that they have recovered the Aadhar card of the deceased,” said the devastated Sunil.

“I could not understand what to do. How would I inform the family members of the four youths that they will never meet again,” he said. “But as they had to be informed, I mustered courage and first informed Surendra’s father, Bhaiya Lal that his son and the other three were no more,” said Sunil.

“As soon as I informed the news to poor father, he fainted with a cry of grief,” he said.

The news spread like a wild fire in the village. Whosoever heard about the news, rushed towards the house of the deceased youths to console the aggrieved and screaming family members.