A 35-year-old railway gateman was killed after being struck by a train at the Girdhar railway crossing in Kashipur, Uttarakhand, early on Wednesday, police said. The circumstances that led to the railway employee being on the tracks when the train approached are being investigated.
The deceased was identified as Ankur Bhardwaj, a resident of Paiga village. He was posted as a gateman at the Girdhar railway crossing in the Mahuakhera Ganj area of Kashipur.
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Kashipur Railway Protection Force (RPF) post in-charge Sukhwant Singh said the RPF received information from locals early on Wednesday morning that a body was lying near the railway tracks at the Girdhar railway crossing.
“On receiving the information, an RPF team immediately rushed to the spot. The body was taken into possession and sent for a postmortem. An investigation into the incident has also been initiated,” Singh said.
“The preliminary investigation has revealed that he was struck by a train coming from the direction of Delhi early on Wednesday morning. However, it is not yet clear why or under what circumstances he came onto the railway tracks,” Singh added.
{{/usCountry}}“The preliminary investigation has revealed that he was struck by a train coming from the direction of Delhi early on Wednesday morning. However, it is not yet clear why or under what circumstances he came onto the railway tracks,” Singh added.
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Police and railway officials are investigating whether Bhardwaj was performing his duties at the time of the incident and how he came onto the railway tracks when the train was approaching. Statements from locals and other persons associated with the railway crossing are expected to be examined as part of the inquiry.
Officers said the postmortem would help determine the exact cause and nature of the injuries sustained by the victim.
Singh said the investigation was underway and further action would be taken on the basis of the evidence and findings that emerge during the inquiry.