An attempt made by a railway gatekeeper at Gopurarajapuram near Papanasam in Thanjavur district to save another person from being run over by a train on Wednesday (August 12, 2026) night cost him his life.

Inquiries reveal that the gatekeeper, Rahul Kumar (30) of Keerthai hamlet, Baghpat district, Uttar Pradesh, who was posted for duty at the level crossing (LC) gate at Gopurarajapuram, saw a person heading towards the railway track while the Nagercoil-Tambaram Antyodaya Express was fast approaching the LC at around 11.45 p.m. on August 12.

Immediately, he ran towards the person and attempted to pull him to safety. However, the person was hit by the speeding train, and in the process, the gatekeeper too was killed. The identity of the person whom the railway gatekeeper attempted to save but who was also killed in the accident had yet to be identified, according to official sources.

Published - August 13, 2026 10:44 am IST