Nuapada: In a heartbreaking incident linked to financial distress and family disputes, an elderly couple in Nuapada district died by suicide after jumping in front of the Visakhapatnam–Durg Vande Bharat Express near Kalyanpur level crossing, located between Nuapada and Khariar Road railway stations late on Tuesday night.
The deceased have been identified as Yaduram Pande (58) and his wife Jambai Pande (56), residents of Silda village under Nuapada police limits.
According to reports, the couple had been living separately from their son for the past two years. Mounting debt and constant pressure from creditors reportedly caused extreme mental distress.
On the evening of the incident, the couple had visited a relative in Kalyanpur village for dinner and were returning home when they allegedly jumped in front of the speeding Vande Bharat train. The tragic event occurred late at night.
The Kantabanji Government Railway Police (GRP) reached the site and recovered the bodies. The remains were sent for post-mortem the next morning and later handed over to the family.
The GRP has registered a case and begun an investigation into the incident. The tragic death has cast a pall over the local community, sparking concern over rising mental health and financial distress issues among elderly citizens.