20-year-old, who had his earphones on, failed to hear the approaching Pushpak Express and warnings shouted out by onlookers
20-year-old, who had his earphones on, failed to hear the approaching Pushpak Express and warnings shouted out by onlookers
The appeal of authorities towards today's multitasking generation of keeping eyes and ears peeled while on the roads or the rail tracks has so far gone mostly unnoticed. Sometimes with grave consequences. 20-year-old Saurabh Omprakash Pendkar was mowed down by Pushpak Express at Kurla station on Monday while on his way to college. The Chembur colony resident, who was walking on the tracks while listening to music with his earphones on, did not see the fast train coming. Nor could he hear the railway announcements or admonitions of bystanders.u00a0 
On the wrong track: Saurabh (below) was on his way to appear for his
college practical exams when the mishap took place. File Pic
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At the time of the incident -- 8.30 am yesterday -- the victim was going from Chembur towards Ramnarain Ruia College in Matunga. "Saurabh, who was a second-year B Sc student, was moving from platform number 5 to platform number 4, and had got down on the tracks. There was an announcement about a fast train passing by platform no. four, but Saurabh couldn't hear this as he was listening to music from his phone," said Shivaji Dhumal, senior police inspector of Kurla Government Railway Police (GRP).
Lost in the din
"We have informed his parents, who are arriving from Aurangabad, where they had gone to attend a function. Saurabh has two brothers - one older and the other younger. We have been trying to spread the message among people of avoiding talking on phones or listening to music while on the move," Dhumal added.
Saurabh's phone is missing after the incident. "He was going for his college practical exams when the mishap occurred," said a police officer.
Hear and now
A young girl from Vakola is recuperating in hospital after her school bus hit her and then dragged her along for a few metres. Zahraa Shaikh had just stepped off the bus and was waiting for her two brothers to join her when the driver, who was listening to music over his earphones, started driving off. Eyewitnesses allegedly shouted out at him to stop, but he couldn't hear them. He has been arrested and charged with rash and negligent driving.
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