Mumbai: 80-year-old Covid-19 patient flees hospital, hit by train

MUMBAI: An elderly man, who had escaped from a civic hospital after being admitted for novel coronavirus, was knocked down by a train and lost his life on Monday morning. The 80-year-old deceased was probably headed towards his home in Kurar village at Malad East, police said. A case of accidental death has been registered and an investigation is on.
The elderly man was admitted to the Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital at Kandivali West on June 6 after testing positive for Covid-19. He was undergoing treatment when he sneaked out on the morning of June 8. It is not clear what drove him to escape from the hospital, which is located not far from the Kandivali railway station.
Around 7pm, he reached the railway tracks and was crossing from Kandivali West to East when a Shramik Special train knocked him down. He suffered grievous injuries and was killed on the spot. When the body was found by the GRP, they did not know of his identity. The body was taken back to the Babasaheb Ambedkar Hospital where inquiries revealed that he was a runaway patient.
"His wife and grandson have been quarantined since he tested positive for Covid. His son lives in Dombivali," said a police officer.
The body will be handed over to the BMC for cremation, following protocol for cremating Covid positive patients. The police could not tell whether it was a suicide or an accident.
"We will have to record the statement of the motorman of the Shramik Special train," said an officer.