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INDIA-TRANSPORT
Indian baby survives being run over by train
NEW DELHI, Nov 22, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – An Indian baby who was dropped onto
railway tracks moments before a train passed through the station has escaped
unscathed.
The dramatic incident, captured on cell phone footage Thursday, showed a
train rolling over the infant in Uttar Pradesh state as screaming onlookers
stand by hopelessly.
The one-year-old reportedly fell into the gap between the carriage and
the platform as the girl’s parents were stepping off the train.
She was wedged flat on her back alongside the track as the train left
the platform, picking up speed and thundering overhead — but just missing
her.
Once the train passed a man quickly scooped up the tiny child who, apart
from crying, was astonishingly left unscathed by the terrifying incident.
Indian media reported that the girl’s parents lost grip of their child
as a crowd surged from the train onto the platform in Mathura city.
Indian railway officials said the lucky escape was a reminder to be
cautious at all times on crowded trains.
“We are actively running campaigns to sensitise people against
travelling on rooftops or standing on foot boards of the train doors,” said G
K Bansal, a railways spokesman.
India’s huge railway network is notorious for overcrowding and
accidents, including scores who die while crossing the tracks illegally or
falling off over-capacity trains.
A 2012 government report described the loss of 15,000 passengers to rail
accidents every year in India as a “massacre”.
The government has pledged $137 billion over five years to modernise the
crumbling network.
BSS/AFP/IJ/1631 hrs