Mother, Child, and Bystander Fatally Hit by Train in West Bengal

A heart-wrenching tragedy struck near Shyamnagar station in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Saturday night, claiming the lives of three individuals, including a woman and her child, who were hit by the Gour Express while crossing railway tracks. The incident, which unfolded in a matter of seconds, has left the community in shock and sparked widespread outrage against railway authorities.

According to eyewitnesses, the woman was navigating the tracks with her child when the child slipped from her arms and fell onto the path of the approaching train. In a heroic but tragic attempt to save them, a fruit seller from the nearby platform rushed to their aid. Tragically, all three were struck by the train, sustaining fatal injuries. Locals scrambled to arrange an ambulance, but their efforts were thwarted when the level crossing operator refused to open the gates, forcing them to carry the critically injured victims by hand to a safer distance. Despite their desperate efforts, the three were pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital.

The incident ignited fury among residents, who blocked the railway tracks for an hour in protest, accusing the railways of gross negligence. Demonstrators pointed to the frequent and prolonged closures of level crossing gates, which they claim push people to take dangerous shortcuts across the tracks. “We’ve raised this issue with the railway authorities multiple times, but nothing has been done,” one protester said. The demonstration disrupted train services until police and Government Railway Police (GRP) intervened, persuading the crowd to disperse.

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The protesters’ grievances center on the lack of timely gate operations, which they argue could have prevented the tragedy. The delay in allowing the ambulance to pass has further fueled accusations of systemic failures within the railway administration. In response, police have assured a swift and thorough investigation to determine the circumstances of the accident and address the community’s concerns.

As the investigation unfolds, the tragedy has cast a spotlight on railway safety in the region, with calls for immediate reforms to prevent such incidents. The loss of a mother, her child, and a brave bystander has left an indelible mark on Shyamnagar, as the community mourns and demands accountability from those responsible for ensuring public safety.

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