Bhubaneswar: A young man sustained critical burn injuries after he allegedly climbed atop a stationary train coach at Mancheswar Railway Station in Bhubaneswar in the early hours of Sunday to take selfies and shoot videos for social media.
The victim, whose identity is yet to be officially confirmed, had reportedly traveled from Rajasthan to Cuttack for some training programme.
According to sources, he scaled the roof of a stable loaded wagon and came into contact with a high-voltage overhead electric wire (OHE), resulting in severe burns. On duty RPF personnel rescued the injured youth and rushed him to Railway Hospital Railway Hospital by ambulance for emergency care. Due to the seriousness of his condition, he was later transferred to SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack.
Railway police have recovered his parents’ contact details and informed them of the incident.
Similar tragedies have occurred in Odisha and other states in the past. In previous incidents, youths and teenagers climbing train roofs for selfies or reels have suffered severe burns or lost their lives after contacting live wires. Railway campaigns emphasise that “a moment of social media fame is not worth your life,” urging people, especially young individuals, to prioritise safety over viral content.
East Coast Railway has again appealed to passengers and general public, particularly youths, to strictly avoid climbing railway wagons, poles, coaches or any railway structure for selfies, photography, videography or social media content creation.
The OHE system used for train operations carries extremely high voltage electricity and can cause severe injuries or even prove fatal without any direct physical contact. Merely coming dangerously close to the wire can result in electric arcing and serious accidents.
Railways continuously conducts awareness campaigns through station announcements, posters, counselling, public advisories and social media outreach to sensitise people against trespassing and unsafe activities within railway premises. Such dangerous acts also invite legal action under relevant provisions of the Railways Act, it added.
