Teen suffers 60% burns after getting atop a railway van in Nerul for the view

A 16-year-old boy suffered severe burns and fractures after climbing a railway van and contacting live wires in Nerul, Mumbai. His condition is critical.

MUMBAI: A 16-year-old boy who climbed on top of a stationary railway van near Nerul railway station suffered severe burn injuries and multiple fractures after he came in contact with the live overhead electrical wires on Sunday afternoon. Following the incident, the Vashi DRP registered a medico-legal case (MLC) on Sunday night.

A screengrab from the viral video showing the victim being supported by three others after dousing the fire.

The victim, Aarav Santulan Srivastava, a resident of Belapur, and his three friends were returning from their tuition classes around 3pm. They were walking near the Rajiv Gandhi Bridge, which is close to the railway tracks, when Srivastava decided to climb up to click a photo of the view. The police believe the victim got on top of the train while his friends stayed on the ground. A video of the incident that went viral on social media shows the victim’s clothes burnt. Dashrath Gaikwad, the senior police inspector of Vashi GRP, said Srivatsava did not touch the wiring, the voltage from the wiring is so high that anyone within a 3-feet distance from it would be severely impacted.

His friends immediately helped douse the fire and rushed him to Terna Hospital, Nerul. “A doctor from Terna Hospital informed us that the boys had climbed onto a stationary railway working van used for garbage collection. They were shooting videos for social media when he came in contact with the live overhead wire and was electrocuted,” said Kiran Undre, senior police inspector at the Government Railway Police (GRP) station in Vashi.

The doctors at Terna Hospital referred Srivatsava to the Apollo Hospital in Belapur. PSI Gaikwad visited Apollo Hospital to verify the incident and recorded the statement of an eyewitness who was present during the accident. The injured boy was not in a stable condition to provide his statement. Srivatsava’s parents later shifted him to the National Burns Centre, Airoli, where he is undergoing specialised treatment. Doctors here said he suffered 60% deep burns, grievous head injuries, and facial bone fractures. “His condition is stable but critical. He will need to undergo surgeries once his vitals stabilise,” said Dr SM Keswani, director of the National Burns Centre.