Train Driver Hits Emergency Brakes Seconds Before Running Over Man On Tracks [Video]

A train driver in India has been hailed a hero for hitting the emergency brakes seconds before running over a man lying on the tracks.

The shocking video of the incident, which occurred in the city of Mumbai, has since gone viral on social media, reported NDTV. The 50-second clip, shared by the Indian Ministry Of Railways on Twitter, was filmed at the Sewri station of the Mumbai suburban railway network.

The footage begins with a man wandering onto the railway tracks, and then abruptly lying down, clearly in a bid to end his life.

The video shows the train approaching within seconds. However, it slows down and comes to a complete halt barely a few meters away from the man. Despite the train coming to a stop, the man remains on the track and never attempts to get up.

Three railway police personnel are then seen running up to the man and escorting him to safety. The officials have not revealed the man's identity or whether he would face charges for his actions.

The Ministry of Railways took to Twitter to laud the motorman for applying the emergency brakes. "Commendable work done by the motorman: At Sewri station in Mumbai, the motorman saw a person lying on the track," the tweet read.

The Ministry of Railways also advised people to "not play with their lives like this, reminding them someone was waiting for them at home."

The video has gone viral, and racked up more than 100,000 views and several reactions from social media users. Many hailed the driver for his "quick thinking."

One user wrote: "Please mention the names of the heroes. They deserve that."

Several others wanted the Railways Ministry to reward the driver for his timely intervention. "Hats off to Motorman. He should be rewarded by Railways," a user wrote.

In a similar incident, a railway employee had saved a child who fell into tracks while walking with his blind mother. The train was moving in his direction as Mayur Shelke, hailing from the Indian city of Mumbai, rushed to save the child and bundle him onto the platform before the train sped in. The video of the incident had gone viral.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.