A 40-year-old Indian techie and his two-year-old daughter died after a pram carrying twin girls rolled onto train tracks at Carlton railway station in Sydney around 12.25 pm (local time) on Sunday. Emergency services rushed to the scene, rescuing one twin while the father Anand Runwal and the other twin lost their lives as the dad attempted to save his daughters.
Police arrived at Carlton railway station in Sydney’s south within minutes of the incident being reported. The tragic event unfolded as the family exited the platform lift and momentarily let go of the pram, according to Mirror report. Superintendent Paul Dunstan said, “As they’ve got out of the lift, they’ve taken their hands off the pram for a very, very short period of time, and whether it’s a gust of wind or, we’re not quite sure, but it appears that the pram has instantly started to roll in the direction of the train lines.”
Witnesses reported seeing the father jump onto the tracks in a desperate attempt to save the twins. He tried to lift the double pram while a bystander attempted to signal the approaching train to stop, but it was too late. The mum, aged 39, witnessed the incident from the platform but was physically unharmed. Both she and the surviving daughter were transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Superintendent Dunstan further elaborated on the father’s actions, saying, “He’s just gone into ‘parent mode’ and tried to save his two young daughters that have fallen onto the tracks and in doing so, it’s cost him his life, but it’s an incredibly brave and heroic act by the dad.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the pram under the train and heard crying emanating from underneath it. “Police climbed under the train and rescued one of the children, who was thankfully unharmed and reunited her with the mother,” Dunstan added. It appears the surviving toddler fell “in between the tracks” and was “largely untouched.”
“Sadly, the other child, a two-year-old female, and her father – who attempted to save the child – have passed away as a result of this incident,” Dunstan said.
The girls’ mother, a member of the local Indian community, was left “very traumatised” and is currently being supported by friends and family. “She’s being well supported by her friends and family but she’s clearly in a state of shock and struggling with what’s happened today,” Police Superintendent Paul Dunstan commented.
The family of four had moved from India to Sydney in October 2023 as Anand secured a new job at an IT firm in North Sydney, according to Sky News.
Police arrived at Carlton railway station in Sydney’s south within minutes of the incident being reported. The tragic event unfolded as the family exited the platform lift and momentarily let go of the pram, according to Mirror report. Superintendent Paul Dunstan said, “As they’ve got out of the lift, they’ve taken their hands off the pram for a very, very short period of time, and whether it’s a gust of wind or, we’re not quite sure, but it appears that the pram has instantly started to roll in the direction of the train lines.”
Witnesses reported seeing the father jump onto the tracks in a desperate attempt to save the twins. He tried to lift the double pram while a bystander attempted to signal the approaching train to stop, but it was too late. The mum, aged 39, witnessed the incident from the platform but was physically unharmed. Both she and the surviving daughter were transported to the hospital in stable condition.
Superintendent Dunstan further elaborated on the father’s actions, saying, “He’s just gone into ‘parent mode’ and tried to save his two young daughters that have fallen onto the tracks and in doing so, it’s cost him his life, but it’s an incredibly brave and heroic act by the dad.”
When officers arrived at the scene, they found the pram under the train and heard crying emanating from underneath it. “Police climbed under the train and rescued one of the children, who was thankfully unharmed and reunited her with the mother,” Dunstan added. It appears the surviving toddler fell “in between the tracks” and was “largely untouched.”
“Sadly, the other child, a two-year-old female, and her father – who attempted to save the child – have passed away as a result of this incident,” Dunstan said.
The girls’ mother, a member of the local Indian community, was left “very traumatised” and is currently being supported by friends and family. “She’s being well supported by her friends and family but she’s clearly in a state of shock and struggling with what’s happened today,” Police Superintendent Paul Dunstan commented.
The family of four had moved from India to Sydney in October 2023 as Anand secured a new job at an IT firm in North Sydney, according to Sky News.