3 killed, 4 hurt in freak footboard mishap on EMU

The tragedy happened around 9 am between Pazhavanthangal and St Thomas Mount stations. While two of them died on the spot, the third victim died at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) later in the afternoon. The remaining four are being treated at the RGGGH and are out of danger. 

The initial investigation report said, the backpack of one of the passengers, who was travelling on the footboard of Chengalpattu-Chennai Beach Fast, hanging from the grab bar of a crowded compartment, got hooked to an electric pole on the side of the track. When he was pulled out under the impact, he tried to hold on to another passenger in a bid to save himself. This resulted in a chain affect pulling six more passengers out of the train. 

Police said A Praveen Raj (18), of Kalaimagal Street, Kamaraj Nagar, Peerkankarani, a welder at a private company, came under the wheels of the train and his body was cut into two. Another passenger Manikandan (22), of Bharathi Nagar, Perungalathur, an AC mechanic also died on the spot. 

The RPF and Government Railway Police personnel rushed the other five to the Chrompet GH, from where they were shifted to the RGGH. A grievously injured Samuel Jayasingh (26), a native of Kanyakumari, died at the hospital in the afternoon. The other injured persons were - K Gopinath (26) of Perungalathur, M Manikandan (20) of New Perungalathur, J Madhusudanan (27), a native of Tiruvannamalai and S Devaraj (26), of Korattur.