A railway pointsman has saved the life of a six-year-old boy who fell on the railway tracks at Vangani station near Mumbai by hauling him onto a platform in the nick of time while a speeding train was approaching, Railway officials said on Monday.
The CCTV footage of the incident which occurred at platform number 2 of the station on April 17 shows a man, later identified as the pointsman Mayur Shelke, running from another side of the railway tracks towards a boy while a train was just a few feet away.
The video grab shows Shelke lifting the boy onto the platform and then pulling himself up.
The thrilling incident was over within five seconds and the speeding train passed the spot where the child had fallen in less than two seconds.
According to passenger activists, the boy accompanied by a blind woman fell on the tracks when they were walking close to the edge of the platform around 5 pm. Coincidentally, a speeding outstation train was approaching the platform at that time.
Vangani railway station, located 90 km away from here, falls on the Central line of the Mumbai suburban network.
Very proud of Mayur Shelke, Railwayman from the Vangani Railway Station in Mumbai who has done an exceptionally courageous act, risked his own life & saved a child's life. pic.twitter.com/0lsHkt4v7M
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) April 19, 2021
"The child was so small that he was unable to climb the platform. At the same time train no. 01302 Up (Udyan Express) was approaching on the same track speedily," the Central Railway said in a release, adding that the woman on the platform was desperately shouting to save the child.
"Very proud of Mayur Shelke, Railwayman from the Vangani Railway Station in Mumbai who has done an exceptionally courageous act, risked his own life & saved a child's life," tweeted Railway Minister Piyush Goyal.
Goyal personally spoke to Shelke for his courageous act to save the life of the child.
"Goyal also said that Shelke's work cannot be compared to any prize or money, but he will be rewarded for inspiring humanity with his work," the release stated.
Asian Institute of Transport Development has announced an award of Rs 50,000 for Shelke. Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Central Railway's Mumbai division also appreciated Shelke.
"Excellent work done by Central Railway Mumbai Division Mr Mayur Shelkhe (Pointsman) saved the life of a child who lost his balance while walking at platform no.2 at Vangani station," the DRM tweeted.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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