Alert 12-Year-Boy Waves Red Shirt To Stop Train Mishap In West Bengal, Rewarded

Indian Railways recently rewarded the brave 12-year-boy from West Bengal's Malda who stopped a major train mishap on September 21, 2023. As per a report on IANS, Mursalin Seikh son of a migrant labourer from a nearby village defined bravely after he waved his red T-shirt to alert the loco pilot of the speeding Kanchanjunga Express. Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authorities rewarded him with a certificate and a cash award for his valour. NFR's Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said NFR salutes the boy's approach towards society.

He further said that Malda North Lok Sabha member Khagen Murmu along with Divisional Railway Manager of Katihar, Surendra Kumar, reached the boy's home at Kariali (under Harischandrapur police station) to reward him and appreciate his effort for stopping the passenger train from crossing a rain damaged portion on the track.

The report reveals that maintenance of the track and other works were going on at Bhaluka road yard on September 21. At one location where soil and the pebbles were washed away by the heavy rain, Mursalin, the son of a migrant labourer from a nearby village, was also present with the railway staff, De said.

On noticing a rain damaged portion under the tracks, the boy acted sensibly and alerted the loco pilot of the approaching Silchar (Assam) bound passenger train by waving his red T-shirt while the other on duty railway staff followed him.

The West Bengal government has also decided to reward the boy with Malda Zilla Parishad member Balikul Islam announcing to bear the cost of his education. The NFR, one among the 17 railway zones in India, operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.