West Champaran, Bihar, witnessed a devastating rail tragedy on Friday where two young lives were cut short by the Amrit Bharat Express. The 16-year-olds were engaged in making a popular short video near the tracks, a decision that turned deadly amid converging trains.
The precise location was on the Bettiah-Narkatiaganj line, between Gulab Nagar crossing and Sathi station at pillar 234/31. Sathi station’s Santosh Kumar provided a clear timeline: the express train was heading to Narkatiaganj from Muzaffarpur, paralleled by a military train returning to Muzaffarpur.
In Kumar’s words, ‘Positioned by the tracks for their mobile reel, the boys were startled by trains approaching simultaneously from either direction. In their haste to evade one, they collided with the other.’ The victims, identified as Salman Alam (Dharmpur Sathi resident) and Alamgir Alam (from Bhedihari, Purushottampur area), perished on impact.
A crowd of concerned villagers flocked to the scene, heightening the atmosphere of grief and disorder. Railway officials swiftly informed Bettiah GRP, launching an inquiry while releasing the bodies to kin for last rites.
Kumar’s advisory resonates strongly: steer clear of rail corridors, particularly in low-visibility winter periods plagued by fog. As investigations continue, this case spotlights the urgent need for awareness about the lethal risks of trackside activities, especially viral video stunts among the youth.