Two Killed, One Injured By Speeding Train While They Were Taking Selfies On Railway Track

Two men were killed and one was left critically injured after being run over by a train in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal on Sunday. The three men were reportedly taking selfies on the tracks and paid no heed to the oncoming train when the mishap occurred.

The incident took place in Medinipur town near Kangsavati river where the group of men was out on a picnic. They reportedly walked from the river bank to the nearby railway tracks to click photos, India Today reported.

The deceased were identified as Mithun Khan, 36, and Abdul Gain, 32, while the third person who was injured remained unidentified, News 24 reported. The three were allegedly so engrossed in taking selfies that they failed to notice the approaching train.

According to witnesses, the driver of the train repeatedly blew the horn to alert the trio but they appeared to pay no heed. When the train hit them, the men were sent flying from the tracks and, as a result, Mithun and Abdul died on the spot.

Deputies rushed to the spot and began investigating the tragic incident. Railway Senior Section Engineer Biswajit Bala said that stepping on the railway tracks was prohibited but the rule is often ignored. "Everyone is forbidden to climb on this part of the railway line. Despite the ban, many people are taking selfies lying on the train tracks. However, they did not move and ran along the line. So this accident happened," Bala told India Today.

In November 2020, a young teen was electrocuted to death after he climbed on top of a train to click a selfie. The incident took place in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. The victim, identified as 15-year-old Ganeshwar, climbed atop a goods train engine that was parked in a railway station and accidentally touched a high tension wire above the locomotive. He died of electrocution on the spot. Investigation revealed the boy was the son of a quality inspector who visited the railway station regularly to inspect food grains transported by goods trains. On the day of the tragic incident, the teen had accompanied his father to the railway station and strayed when he was busy.