A railway official in Maharashtra is being hailed a hero for saving the life of a boy who fell on the tracks - right in the way of an oncoming train. CCTV footage that has been widely circulated online shows Mayur Shelke running towards the child and hauling him out of the train's way in the nick of time.
The CCTV footage was shared on Twitter yesterday by Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, who praised Mr Shelke's "exceptionally courageous act" in risking his own life to save the child. In the footage, the child is seen losing his balance on the edge of a deserted platform and falling onto the tracks. Right then, railway pointsman Mayur Shelke is seen running towards the child. He manages to reach the child and rescue him just as the train pulls into the platform.
According to news agency ANI, the incident occurred at platform two of Vangani Railway Station on April 17.
"Very proud of Mayur Shelke, Railwayman from the Vangani Railway Station in Mumbai who has done an exceptionally courageous act, risked his own life and saved a child's life," Mr Goyal wrote while sharing the video on Twitter. "His act cannot be compared with any prize or money, but he will be rewarded for fulfilling his responsibility, and motivating humanity with his work," he added.
Praise has been pouring in for Mayur Shelke since the video was released on social media.
The Ministry of Railways shared a clip which shows the staff and DRM of Central Railway's Mumbai Division applauding Mr Shelke. He was also felicitated for his courageous act by the Central Railway.
Gautam Adani, Chairman of Adani Group, praised the railway pointsman's bravery in a tweet shared on Monday. "I salute Mayur Shelke's selflessness and exemplary heroism," he wrote. "Mayur, your bravery inspires us all."
Actor R Madhavan also took to Twitter to share a note of appreciation for the "true life hero"
IPS Swati Lakra also took to Twitter to share the video. "Kudos," she wrote.
IAS Supriya Sahu hailed the railway employee a "real hero" in her post
Take a look at some of the other reactions:
Speaking to ANI, Mr Shelke said that the child was accompanied on the platform by a visually impaired woman, who could not do much to help him. "She could do nothing. I ran towards the child but also thought that I might be in danger too. Still, I thought I should save him," he was quoted as saying. "The woman was very emotional and thanked me a lot. Minister Piyush Goyal also called me up," he added.
