In the early hours on Tuesday, a body of a man aged around 45 years was found lying close to the railway track in Vriddhachalam Railway Police station limits. Acting on information, Railway Police personnel went to the spot and found the victim with head injury and shifted it to the Ulundurpet government hospital.
Based on the nature of injury, the Railway Police say that the man whose identity is yet to be established had accidentally fallen down from a moving train. Probe is on to ascertain his identity by circulating his photograph.
For the Railway Police which is treating it as a fatal fall from train has come across several accidental deaths on tracks in the past. The large number of fatalities due to accidental deaths has remained a cause of concern to the Railway Police.
Over 850 persons have died due to accidental deaths on tracks in the vast limits of Tiruchi Railway Police District from January 2018 to April 2019. Majority of the victims in respect of such accidental death cases have been male, Railway Police statistics reveal.
Deaths reported due to trespass on track, fatal fall from moving train while sitting on the coach door steps are categorised under accidental death, says a senior Railway Police officer here. Since the beginning of the current year up to April, as many as 206 persons have expired due to accidental death in Tiruchi Railway Police District encompassing Tiruchi and Madurai Railway Divisions.
The jurisdiction of Tiruchi Railway Police District is huge starting from Villupuram and extending down south upto Kanyakumari in the north-south direction, while it is from Nagapattinam to Kodumudi in the east-west direction. Railway Police sources say death due to accident, or suicide or natural is established during the course of investigation.
The sources say several campaigns were being conducted across the Tiruchi Railway Police District to create awareness among public on the hazards of walking on the track, trespass besides appealing to public to desist from travelling on the door step of coaches.
Another senior officer said many instances of travelling on door step was witnessed more during summer vacation period when the movement of passenger traffic was heavy. Unable to secure confirmed seats or berths, some take the risk of travelling even on the door steps of unreserved coaches unmindful of the danger involved, the officer said.
It is equally imperative on the part of the public to remain cautious while crossing the track and desist from steps that could endanger their lives, say the Railway Police. Railway Protection Force personnel say awareness campaigns at periodic intervals were being conducted to drive home safety-related messages to rail travellers and general public.
