COIMBATORE: A 38-year-old man, who fell down from a speeding train after the door slammed on him while he was sitting on the footboard on Saturday night, was rescued after a hour-long search. Rescuers located him with the help of mobile phone signal. He has been admitted to a hospital with head injuries and multiple fractures.
Police said K Sreeraman (38) of Puducode near Alathur in Palakkad district of Kerala was travelling with his family on the Kollam-Tirupati Express (17422) to Tirupati. Around 8 pm, while the train was passing between Coimbatore and Tiruppur, family members realised that he was missing.
Suspecting that he may have fallen down, the Travelling Ticket Examiner alerted Government Railway Police who informed the Quick Response Team of RPF and GRP that he may have fallen off between the two districts. However, they could not trace the exact location as nobody in the coach noticed the accident.
While a random search was planned, they received information that his mobile phone was ringing which helped police to trace the location at 9.15pm to an area near Neelikonampalayam level crossing about 11 kilometres away from Coimbatore railway station.
Immediately, a team rushed to the spot by road up to Neelikonampalayam and then proceeded with the search along the track using torch lights as the area was covered with bushes. Sreeraman was found in an unconscious state with severe injuries on his head and face.
He was rushed to Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH) at 10 pm. Doctors declared that he was out of danger. The operation initiated by the RPF ended in two hours, sources said.