GRP personnel Veerabhai Meru rushed towards the passenger as the train chugged in
The courage and sense of duty of a Railway security guard saved an elderly man from being crushed by a train at Vapi station in Gujarat on Tuesday. The daring act was captured by a CCTV camera at the station.
The footage shows several people crossing tracks to go from one platform to the other -- a foolhardy and very common practice across the country. One person is seen struggling to get on the platform, and a Government Railway Police (GRP) guard helps him.
At this point, an elderly man can be spotted crossing the tracks as the Surat-Bandra Terminus Intercity train is entering the station around 6 pm. As the train approaches, the elderly man trips and falls between the tracks.
The GRP personnel is seen leaping off the platform and rushing towards the elderly man. The train is metres away when he holds the man and pulls him away from the tracks. A tragedy is averted and the train passes by.
GRP personnel Veerabhai Meru, who risked his life to save the elderly passenger, then helped him back to the platform.
Despite fines and repeated guidelines warning people against crossing tracks, the Railways has failed to rein in the practice. Passengers, including women and children, frequently take this dangerous route to save a few minutes.
CCTV cameras installed at stations over the past few years have captured several incidents of security personnel and bystanders risking their safety to save passengers who trip in front of approaching trains.