Four-year-old child falls onto Bengaluru Metro tracks while playing, rescued safely: Report

Prompt action by Bengaluru Metro staff and passengers prevented a tragedy after a child fell onto the tracks at the Byappanahalli station.

Bengaluru's Byappanahalli Metro station saw a tense atmosphere on Thursday evening when a four-year-old boy unexpectedly fell on the tracks. The incident occurred between 9:08 pm and 9:16 pm, the Moneycontrol reported.

Bengaluru Metro's Purple Line. (X/@bykarthikreddy)

Sources from the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) told the publication that the child was playing with his sibling on Platform 2 when he fell onto the tracks at around 9:08 pm, despite his mother's attempts to catch him.

The station controller promptly activated the Emergency Trip System (ETS), halting the approaching trains and suspending traction power supply on the adjacent tracks. Security guards on both platforms also engaged the ETS. The ETS system cuts off power supply through the third rail, a system used by Bengaluru Metro to electrify its trains, the report noted.

The boy's parents quickly jumped onto the tracks, rescuing him with the help of other passengers. Fortunately, the child sustained only minor injuries, including a scratch behind his left ear. He was immediately taken to Sir C V Raman General Hospital in Indira Nagar, accompanied by a Metro security guard. Following an initial check-up, he was referred to Victoria Hospital, where a scan confirmed he had no serious injuries, and he was subsequently discharged.

An official reported that the incident did not disrupt Metro services due to the 10-minute train frequency at the time. At 9:16 pm, the Operations Control Centre (OCC) was given the clearance to reactivate the third rail, restoring power to the trains, the report added.

This incident is one of several recent occurrences on the Bengaluru Metro. In June, a man attempted suicide by jumping onto the Purple Line tracks at Magadi Road station. He was quickly rescued and taken to a nearby hospital. Similarly, services were briefly halted in March on the Purple Line when another individual jumped onto the tracks at the Attiguppe station.