Passenger falls from speeding train; survives

Manaparai: A 34-year-old man had a miraculous escape when he fell out of a speeding Chennai-bound express train near Manaparai after dozing off while sitting at the doorway of a crowded coach, police said today.

Prakash, who works as a driver in Chennai, was returning from his hometown by the Kanyakumari Express when the incident happened in the wee hours yesterday as the train sped past Manaparai, about 40 kms from Tiruchirappalli.

Rescue teams, who were alerted by the train guard, found him alive with cut injuries and lying in a bush 100 feet away from the track between Manaparai and Samuthiram stations at 3.45 AM, about three hours after the incident.

He was rushed to a government hospital where doctors who examined him said his injuries were not serious.

Prakash later said he sat near the door as the train was overcrowded.

"After I fell, I felt that I was seriously injured...and I would die. I kept crying for help...till I was overcome by tiredness and thirst...After three hours the rescue team noticed me and I waved my hands...It was a miraculous escape and unforgettable life-time experience," he said.