A heroic father who died while trying to rescue his twin sons after their pram overturned on the tracks at a Sydney train station has been identified.
Passengers watched in horror as the pram, carrying two-year-old twins, rolled onto the train tracks at Carlton railway station in Sydney’s south at about 12.25pm on Sunday.
The twins’ father, Anand Runwal, 40, jumped off the platform in a brave attempt to save them, but a passing train collided, killing the father and one of the twins.
Mr Runwal and his wife Poonam moved from India to Sydney with their twin daughters in October 2023 after landing a job at an IT company in North Sydney.
Witness Lauren Langelaar told the Daily Mail Australia that the surviving child, who crashed under the train, “barely had a scratch” when she was finally reunited with her heartbroken mother. The child was discharged from hospital on Monday morning.
Mrs Langelaar was working across the street when the tragedy occurred. She ran to the platform after hearing the mother’s cries for help.
“I ran to help the mother because I could hear her screaming as she looked toward the tracks,” Langelaar said.
“It all happened very quickly. I was on the platform helping the mother shout to her children and husband who were under the train.”
Ms Langelaar said a Sydney Trains worker, who was on the platform, called emergency services and explained that they “could just hear a child” crying.
Anand Runwal (right) and his wife Poonam Runwal (left) moved to Sydney in October 2023 with their two-year-old twin daughters.
The twins’ father heroically jumped onto the tracks to try to save his daughters, but was hit by a passing train, killing him and one of the girls.
The pram, carrying two-year-old twin girls, slid onto the train tracks at Carlton railway station in Sydney’s south on Sunday.
When police arrived, Ms Langelaar was told to hold the mother back while officers jumped onto the tracks.
Miraculously, one of the twin girls was rescued from under the train and escaped the accident “with just a scratch.”
“When I sat her down, the little girl came out from under the train without even a scratch, she was just crying,” Langelaar said.
She added that the mother “begged” paramedics to hand over her little girl so she could hold her, but was initially refused while they assessed the child’s injuries.
“At first she refused to be examined by the paramedics, she just wanted to hug her (daughter),” Langelaar said.
“She then continued shouting: ‘Where are my husband and my other son?'”
Ms Langelaar said paramedics continued to assess the girl while she was in her mother’s arms as she “did not appear to be injured” and only had a “mild bump to the back of the head”.
The surviving girl was taken to St George’s Hospital with her mother, who was on the platform when the accident occurred. The couple have since been discharged.
A woman, Lauren Langelaar, ran onto the platform after hearing the mother’s screams and had to hold her back while emergency services searched for her husband and children.
Harrowing CCTV footage showed the family just minutes before the tragic accident.
Ms Langelaar said a man tried to flag down the driver to warn him of the danger but was unsuccessful.
“There was one man who apparently tried to flag down the train, but since it wasn’t scheduled to stop at that station, he simply didn’t stand a chance,” Langelaar said.
New South Wales Police Superintendent Paul Dunstan said the parents apparently took their hands off the pram for “a very brief period” as it rolled onto the tracks.
Dunstan said police were investigating what caused the stroller to tip over and said it could have been something as simple as a “gust of wind.”
A school friend of Mr Runwal shared a touching tribute on social media.
“Dear friends, it is with great sadness that I share with you the tragic news of the untimely demise of Anand Runwal (class of 1999) and his daughter,” said Sreyas Gopalakrishnan Thottarath.
‘Our deepest condolences to their families and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.’
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who lives 100 metres from the station, said the father died while carrying out an “extraordinary and instinctive act of bravery”.
“He gave his own life to try to save his children,” he said.
Mr Minns described the incident as a “terrible, terrible tragedy” for surviving relatives and first responders.
The Prime Minister did not rule out introducing new measures on railway platforms to prevent similar tragedies from occurring.
“We will work with NSW Rail and police investigations and if changes are needed we will make them,” he said.
It’s too early to tell, but I don’t want to close the door on any changes we can make.
«Train stations can be dangerous places and we should all be aware of that.»
Mr Runwal and his wife Poonam moved from India to Sydney with their twin daughters in October 2023 after he landed a job at an IT company in North Sydney.
Police have closed the station and launched an investigation to determine what caused the stroller to overturn onto the tracks.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matthew Longland said he did not want to speculate on the outcome of the police investigation but said any recommendations to improve safety would be considered.
“Our first priority is to support those involved and work with the investigation to ensure we have all the appropriate facts so we can fully understand the incident,” Longland said.
‘We will take into consideration all recommendations arising from the investigation. I would like to remind everyone to take special care on the platforms when travelling on the railway network.
‘Stay behind the yellow line and away from the edge of the platform. Train stations are very dangerous places.’
Mr Longland described the scene as “confronting” and thanked first responders for their efforts.
“It’s clear that incidents like this are quite confronting for everyone involved, and I would like to thank all first responders for their efforts in managing such a difficult situation,” Longland said.
One possible safety measure could be mesh doors on platforms, which have been installed across the new Sydney Metro network (pictured)
One possible safety measure could be mesh doors on platforms, which have been installed across Sydney’s new metro network.
Each gate weighs 175 kilograms and is about 2.5 metres high, creating a complete barrier between the platform and the track.
“The gates will help increase safety by creating a barrier between the platforms and the tracks, allowing customers to move around the platforms more efficiently,” Sydney Metro said.
The platform doors have undergone rigorous testing before being put into operation for metro services in early 2024.
