In a tragic incident, a 21-year-old pregnant woman died, after falling off a moving express train in Mampakkam near Vriddhachalam, in Cuddalore district, on Thursday (May 2, 2024) night.
The victim was identified as Kasturi, wife of Suresh of Melnilainallur near Sankarankovil in Tenkasi district.
Police said the couple, residing in Chennai, had, along with their relatives, boarded the Kollam Express on Thursday evening to go to Melnilai Nallur, for a baby shower function organised by Kasturi’s family. When the train reached Mampakkam at around 8 p.m., Kasturi, who was standing near the washbasin in their compartment, reportedly fell from the moving train.
Relatives of Kasturi, who had accompanied the couple, frantically tried to pull the emergency alarm chain in their compartment but their efforts went in vain. They then rushed to the adjacent compartment and pulled the alarm chain there, bringing the train to a halt.
By then, the train had traversed several kilometres. The family tried searching for Kasturi on the tracks but did not succeed due to poor visibility. Subsequently, the family lodged a complaint with the Railway police at Vriddhachalam.
“My daughter complained of vomiting and was standing near the wash basin when she fell from the moving train. Everyone in the compartment tried to pull the alarm chain but our efforts went in vain. They then rushed to an adjacent compartment and pulled the chain, bringing the train to a halt. The train had traversed eight kilometres and we started searching for Kasturi on the tracks. The emergency alarm chain in three compartments failed to work,” the victim’s mother, Vasantha, said.
On Friday morning, the Railway police recovered Kasturi’s body at Poovanur. Further investigations are on.
