CHENNAI: A man who slipped while trying to board a running train at Egmore station in Chennai early Sunday morning was pulled to safety in the nick of time by a Railway Protection Force (RPF) policeman.
A video of the man trying to hop onto the Chennai Egmore-Dadar Superfast Express as it rolled out of the station was captured by the CCTV cameras. It shows the man holding onto the handlebars of the compartment and struggling to lift himself. Standing nearby, Railway Protection Force constable K Shanmugham was quick to realise that the man was in danger of being caught between the platform and the train and dragged along. He ran over and pulled the man up to the platform
The 33-year-old policeman said, "The man had a bag that was pulling him under the train. It was close."
In the tension of the moment, it did not occur to anyone around to get the name of the man or other identity details. The guard was alerted to stop the train, and after recovering from his shock, the man he boarded the train and proceeded with his journey.
Shanmugham said he has seen several such cases in his service of 11 years in the RPF. "Many people not realise the danger of trying to board a running train," he said and shrugged.
According to him, more public awareness is the only solution to this sort of risk taking. "Passengers must reach the station early. They should think about their family and their loved ones,” Shanmugham, a native of Salem, said.