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A man was hailed as a “hero” as he died trying to save his twin toddlers from an incoming train in Australia after their pram rolled on to the tracks.
The incident, captured on CCTV, took place at the Carlton Railway Station in Sydney on Sunday.
Anand Runwal’s family was taking a lift down to the platform when they let go of the pram for a ”very, very short” time and it began rolling towards the oncoming train that wasn’t due to stop at the station, Australian media reported.
«He’s just gone into parent mode and tried to save his two young daughters who have fallen onto the tracks and in doing so, it’s cost his life,» NSW police superintendent Paul Dunstan said.
Runwal, 40, was killed along with one of his two-year-old toddlers. The other twin miraculously survived, police said.
The emergency services responding to the scene within minutes of the incident “could hear crying coming from underneath the train”, said Mr Dunstan.
«Police climbed under the train and rescued one of the children, who was thankfully unharmed, and reunited her with the mother,” he was quoted as saying by SBS News.
«Sadly, the other child, a two-year-old female, and her father who attempted to save the child, have passed away as a result.»
A witness, Lauren Langelaar, told 9 News that “the father has jumped down to try and grab the children and the pram and as he’s gone to lift it up onto the platform the train has just come”.
“I was lying on the platform screaming out the husband’s name,” she said. “I could only hear one kid crying, not two.»
The surviving child was taken to St George Hospital along with her mother, Punam Runwal.
Several people left flowers and messages for the deceased father and toddler. “Hero dad, angel baby,” read one message.
NSW premier Chris Minns condoled the deaths.
«I hope over time they can gain some small solace knowing that the father died from an extraordinary, instinctive act of bravery,» he said.
«He gave his own life to try and save his children.»
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland told SBS that the incident “will be fully investigated by the police”.
«We have made all the relevant information available to the police, including camera footage of the station,» he said.
