In a tragic incident, two first-year nursing students lost their lives on Sunday after being struck by a Vande Bharat Express train on the outskirts of Bengaluru, according to police statements on Monday.
The victims have been identified as Sterlin Eliza Shaji, 19 years old, and Justin Joseph, 20 years old, both of whom were originally from Kerala and were enrolled in a BSc Nursing programme at a private college in the city, said a report by news agency PTI.
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Police said the tragedy unfolded at around 2:35 pm near Chikkabanavara railway station. The students were reportedly attempting to cross the railway tracks while returning to their nearby PG accommodation when the Belagavi-bound Vande Bharat sped through the section. The impact killed both instantly, and officers described the condition of their bodies as severely mutilated, as per the report.
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{{/usCountry}}A senior official from the railway police said investigators are reviewing CCTV footage from the area to establish whether the incident was a case of misjudgement while crossing or if any other angle, including suicide, needs to be probed.
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An Unnatural Death Report (UDR) has been filed at the Bengaluru Rural Railway Police Station, and further inquiries are in progress, the official added.
Vande Bharat train hits pedestrians in Bihar's Purnea, 4 dead
In a similar incident in October, as many as four people lost their lives and another was critically injured after a speeding Vande Bharat train struck a group of pedestrians near Purnea in Bihar.
The accident occurred in the early hours when the Jogbani-Patliputra Vande Bharat Express was passing the Purnea Junction area. According to officials, five individuals were on the tracks when the train hit them. Three died immediately at the scene, while another succumbed to injuries later at the hospital.
(With inputs from PTI)