Kaliapani (Jajpur): A tragic incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon near Hansipokhari in Damodarpur village, along the Sukinda–Talcher railway line, when a tribal woman, accompanied by her young son and minor daughter, jumped in front of a moving goods train, reportedly due to family disputes.
The train hit the boy, killing him instantly. The woman herself suffered critical injuries from the powerful impact, while her minor daughter narrowly escaped physical harm. Witnesses said the distressed mother, lying on the tracks, wept inconsolably with her daughter beside her even as her son’s lifeless body lay nearby.
Around 3:30 PM, another goods train from Talcher towards Sukinda approached the spot. The alert loco pilot noticed the grievously injured woman and her crying daughter on the tracks and brought the train to an emergency halt. Assessing the dire situation and the lack of immediate road connectivity in the remote mining belt, he placed the mother and child in the train’s rear cabin and rushed them to Sukinda Road Station. From there, they were shifted to the Sukinda Community Health Centre.
Doctors later referred the woman to SCB Medical College & Hospital at Cuttack for advanced treatment, while her daughter remained safe. Official sources confirmed that the family hails from Pubala village in Jajpur district.
The incident highlights both the depths of human despair and the life-saving role played by the loco pilot, whose timely decision ensured that two lives were saved despite the tragedy.
