A team of policemen walked 4km carrying a woman on a makeshift stretcher to a hospital after she was found injured near rail tracks in the Western Ghats section between Khandala and Karjat stations in Maharashtra.
The woman is now recuperating at a government hospital in Pune and is reported to be in a stable condition, officials said on Thursday.
According to the railway police, the incident took place on Monday when the woman, Asha Waghmare (42), was found lying besides the tracks near Jamrung in the ghat section.
A team of four-five policeman rushed there and carried the woman on a makeshift stretcher made of saree and bamboo sticks in the hilly section.
They later used an ambulance to rush her to a primary health care centre in Karjat, around 120km from Mumbai.
“On Monday, we received information from the Lonavla railway station master that a woman was lying near the tracks in the ghat section near Jamrung,” Lonavla railway police sub-inspector Vishnu Gosavi told PTI.
Since the spot was 20 to 22km away from Lonavla, officials from the Karjat railway station, which was relatively closer to the spot, were informed, he said.
A team of policemen and porters from the Karjat railway station rushed immediately to the spot. The woman, who had received injuries on her back, was found lying near the tracks. Since it is a hilly terrain with a deep gorge on one side, it was difficult to arrange any transport to take her to hospital, said Mr. Gosavi.
“Hence, the policemen, without wasting any time, prepared a makeshift stretcher with a saree and bamboo sticks and walked at least 4km carrying the woman to reach Palasdhari railway station,” he said.
In the meantime, an ambulance was called at the Palasdhari station.
“From there, the policemen ferried the woman in the ambulance to a hospital in Karjat. She was later taken to the government-run Sassoon General Hospital in Pune for further treatment,” he said.
The woman is now recuperating at the hospital, the official said, adding that she is a resident of a nearby hamlet in the ghat section.
“As per information provided by the woman, she got injured after being hit by a running train at a curve in the ghat section while she was trying to cross the railway tracks,” the official said.
Her family members were tracked and informed about the incident, he said. A senior railway police official lauded the rescue team, comprising policemen P. M. Sarkale, D. K. Gangurde, M. P. Gaikwad, P. A. Turdar and a Homeguard.
“They did a commendable job and would be rewarded,” he said.
