Two youths died and another was critically injured after being hit by a Vande Bharat train near Maldhari Fatak, between Bhaktinagar and Ribda stations in the Bhavnagar Division, on Monday afternoon. Preliminary investigations suggest the trio may have been attempting to film a social media reel with the moving train.
Accident reported in late afternoon
Jayesh Karena, head of Rajkot 108 emergency services, said they received a distress call at 4.52 pm. “Our ambulance reached the site immediately. One person had already died. Two others were rushed to hospital, but one of them succumbed to injuries on the way,” he said.
The injured youth is currently undergoing treatment at Rajkot Civil Hospital, officials confirmed.
Mobile videos point to reel attempt
According to police sources, a mobile phone recovered from the accident site contained videos suggesting the three youths were attempting to record a reel close to the speeding train. Investigators believe this may have led to the tragic mishap, though officials stressed that all possibilities are being examined.
Victims identified
One of the youths, Sandip Patel, died on the spot. The other two — 23-year-old Sanjay Kohli and 19-year-old Kapil Patel — were taken to hospital in an ambulance. Kohli, however, died before reaching medical care. All three were industrial labourers, and the two deceased youths were natives of Uttar Pradesh.
Probe underway into circumstances
Railway police and Rajkot police have launched a joint investigation to determine whether the incident was accidental or a case of suicide. “The key question is why all three were together on the tracks at the same time,” an officer said.
The train, operating under Bhavnagar Division, was halted briefly at the site and resumed its journey at around 5.40 pm. Several services were delayed due to the incident.
Authorities have urged the public, especially youngsters, to avoid risky behaviour around railway tracks and moving trains.