Three killed while trying to cross rail tracks in separate incidents

Chennai: Three people were run over by trains in separate incidents in the city and its suburbs on Tuesday. All the victims were men who died while attempting to cross railway tracks.The first incident occurred near Vandalur, where police discovered the body of a man who had been struck by a train. Investigation revealed that the victim was Pappukumar, 30, a native of Bihar. He was hit by an EMU train while crossing the tracks between Vandalur and Perungalathur stations. Police, quoting witnesses, said Pappukumar was engrossed in his mobile phone at the time of the accident.In the second accident, near Potheri railway station, a 40-year-old man identified as Ramu, a resident of Villupuram was also struck by a train. Witnesses said Ramu was attempting to cross the tracks and failed to notice the approaching train.The third incident took place at Guindy railway station, where the railway police recovered the body of an unidentified 25-year-old man. Police are trying to ascertain the identity of the victim.The Govt Railway Police have registered cases for all three incidents and have launched investigations into the matter.Railway officials have said that they are actively working to fence off railway lines across all suburban areas prone to trespassing by the public.Despite these efforts, people continue to cross the tracks, failing to utilise foot overbridges (FOBs) for safe passage. In addition to imposing penalties, railway authorities are also focusing on spreading awareness about the dangers of trespassing railway tracks. At least ten people have lost their lives in similar accidents along the suburban stretch in the last five months alone.