Youth run over by DHR toy train in Kurseong: third incident of death

EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 12, 2024 : A teenager died in Kurseong after he fell on to the track of the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway train and was dragged a few meters on Wednesday. 

The youth, aged around 16 years, has been identified as Surya Rawat, a resident of the PWD quarters, located in the heart of Kurseong town. 

Rawat was walking inside the DHR platform when apparently he slipped and fell on the toy train track. 

According to eye witness, unfortunately, toy train pulled by a diesel engine was reversing in to the platform at the same moment and it dragged the fallen youth for a short distance. 

The youth was taken to the Kurseong sub-division hospital where doctors declared the victim dead. 

The police have sent Rawat's body for post-mortem even though no complaints have been lodged, yet. 

A senior DHR official who wished not be named said it was an unfortunate incident but asserted that when the toy train, in this case the long distance Kurseong to NJP, entered the platform it always reversed very slowly and such incidents had not occurred before. 

Therefore it was difficult to fathom what exactly had transpired. However, town residents alleged that the DHR always has problems of different sorts. 

"Sometimes the toy train jumps tracks or dashes against vehicles along the way and now this incident. The DHR manages to create problems quite frequently, "said a resident not wishing to be named.