In a tragic incident in Gujarat’s Rajkot, two young men lost their lives and another was seriously injured after being hit by a Vande Bharat train while trying to take selfies near a railway track on Monday evening, police said. The incident occurred near the Riddhi–Siddhi canal area.
The victims were among a group of four friends from Uttar Pradesh who were living near the Nilkanth Industrial Area in Rajkot and working at a local factory. One of them, 18-year-old Sandeep Suresh Kori, was scheduled to return to his native village, and the others were walking with him towards Gondal Chowkdi to see him off.
When the group reached the Riddhi–Siddhi canal area, they noticed a Vande Bharat train approaching. Three of the youths — Sandeep Suresh Kori, Sandeep Vidyaram Patel (20) and Kapil Patel (20) — reportedly moved close to the railway track to click selfies. The fourth friend, Kuldeep alias Sandeep Maheshwar Prasad Kori (20), stayed at a safer distance.
As the train neared at high speed, Kuldeep shouted warnings asking his friends to move away from the track. However, the three reportedly thought they could take the selfie and step aside in time. Within moments, the train struck them.
Sandeep Suresh Kori and Sandeep Vidyaram Patel died on the spot, while Kapil Patel suffered serious injuries and was rushed to the civil hospital for treatment.
Police from the Aji Dam Police Station reached the spot, carried out initial investigations and sent the bodies for post-mortem examination.