Delhi: 2 minors killed after train hits them; crowd blocks tracks, heavy police deployed

New Delhi, Sep 19 (PTI) Two girls died after being hit by a train near the Nangloi Railway Station in outer Delhi on Friday afternoon, prompting hundreds of people to gather at the spot and block the railway line for some time, an official said.

The incident occurred around 1 pm near Sukhi Nahar on the Bahadurgarh side, when train number 12485 struck the two children, a police officer stated.

The victims were identified as Ronak Khatoon (7), a resident of Pripatari Enclave in Prem Nagar, and Sahista (8), a resident of Vats Sharda Enclave in Prem Nagar. Both were rushed to a hospital after sustaining injuries, but they were declared dead, he added.

Soon after the incident, approximately 700 locals assembled and staged a blockade on the railway track, disrupting train movement on the busy line.

"The crowd was agitated over the accident and refused to disperse initially. This led to the disruption of train services for some time," the officer explained.

The officer further said that the situation required the deployment of a heavy police force, including personnel from the local police station as well as the Government Railway Police (GRP), to maintain law and order. Senior officers were dispatched to the scene to calm the crowd and persuade them to clear the tracks.

"After some efforts, we were able to control the situation, and train movement was restored. Law and order was maintained with the help of additional forces," the officer noted.

The Government Railway Police, along with the local Nangloi police, are carrying out necessary legal formalities in connection with the case. The circumstances leading to the accident are being looked into, he added.

Another police officer said that the two minors were crossing the railway tracks when they were struck by the train. Their bodies have been sent for a post-mortem examination, and further investigations are ongoing.

The aunt of Sahista, Nagina Khatoon, expressed her grief, stating that the tragedy struck while both girls were returning home from school with a friend.

"They were walking home as they did every day when two trains approached from opposite directions on the tracks. In the confusion, they lost their lives," she told PTI.

The family, she added, is inconsolable. "Her parents are devastated. Sahista was their eldest child, the one they had pinned their hopes on. They cherished her deeply and had many dreams for her future. Now those dreams have been shattered in an instant," she said.

Fighting back tears, she mentioned that Sahista leaves behind a younger sister, just seven years old, who is struggling to understand the loss.

"She keeps asking when her sister will return. No one has the courage to tell her the truth," the aunt said, recalling how her niece was always cheerful and responsible, the kind of child every parent dreams of. PTI BM SSJ BM MPL MPL