Cruel online trolls have raised questions following the death of a little girl and her heroic father, who were killed when their pram fell onto the tracks.
The pram, carrying two-year-old twins, overturned onto the train tracks at Carlton 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 his daughters, Hilal.
Mr Runwal’s wife Poonam watched in horror, screaming for her husband and children as another commuter held her back while police jumped onto the track to try to locate her family.
Miraculously, Hilal’s twin sister Hiya was rescued from under the train and escaped the accident “with just a scratch.”
NSW Police are investigating what caused the pram to overturn and believe a simple “gust of wind” could have caused the accident.
They said the parents apparently took their hands off the stroller for “a very brief period of time” before it rolled onto the tracks.
Pictured here are Anand Runwal and his wife Poonam with their two-year-old twin daughters, Hilal and Hiya.
On social media, some cruel trolls claimed the tragedy could have been avoided, just days after the tragic deaths.
“I’m sorry, strollers have brakes. It’s tragic, no doubt, but why didn’t she brake the stroller before leaving it alone? That’s what most people would do,” said one of them.
A second addition: “There are signs everywhere to secure the stroller on the platforms. It is also a matter of common sense. Besides, strollers have brakes precisely for this reason.”
Others came to the parents’ defense, explaining that it is very common for cars to get out of control and that parents may have lost concentration.
“It’s a real tragedy. A moment of being out of focus or moving away from the baby stroller can cause the worst to happen. Sadly, I’ve seen this almost happen many times,” said one of them.
“My daughter was eight months old when my stroller rolled from the front door into the street – unfortunately I forgot to put the brakes on and yes I was very lucky she survived without any consequences,” another person added.
Another wrote: “Does anyone commenting on this think for a second that this mother isn’t going to punish herself every day for the rest of her life?”
The twins’ father heroically jumped onto the tracks to try to save his daughters, but was hit by a passing train, killing him and his daughter Hilal.
Miraculously, Hiya survived the accident “with just a scratch” (pictured: Hilal and Hiya)
Cruel trolls are blaming the parents for the deaths, claiming they were responsible for the stroller tipping over onto the tracks and should have used the stroller’s brakes (pictured: the family minutes before the tragic accident)
Michael Maartensz, principal owner and consultant of Railway Safety 101, told Daily Mail Australia that the horrific accident was caused by a “tragic set of circumstances”.
Mr Maartensz explained that it appeared that the pram had been left unattended for a moment and that a gust of wind, combined with the tilt of the platform, pushed it onto the tracks.
Speaking to Daily Mail Australia, Mr Maartensz said passenger screen doors were the “ultimate solution” to preventing accidental deaths at train stations.
The platform or passenger doors weigh 175 kilograms, are approximately 2.5 metres high and extend 170 metres, creating a barrier between the platform and the track.
NSW Sydney Metro has installed the safety measure at its eight new stations across the city, including Crows Nest, Victoria Cross, Barangaroo, Martin Place, Pitt Street, Central, Waterloo and Sydenham.
However, he said the government would have “no appetite” to install passenger screen doors at existing stations because it is too expensive.
“It’s not really in their plans. It would cost a lot of money, but, wow, it would save lives, no doubt, and in this case, it would have saved two lives,” Maartensz said.
“It’s really unfortunate that that kind of rail infrastructure doesn’t exist on all networks at the moment.”
The safety expert added that additional warning signs alerting parents to the dangers of strollers on platforms are cost-effective and can be implemented immediately.
Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland admitted installing railings across the network would be a huge challenge.
He said the size of Sydney’s rail network, consisting of 500 platforms and several types of trains, posed significant logistical and structural challenges.
“The (train) doors are spaced at different intervals. So for a platform screen door to work effectively, it needs to be aligned exactly with the train doors when they stop at the platform,” Longland told 7 News.
“And the signalling system must ensure that the train can stop at that exact point on the platform.”
Michael Maartensz, a rail safety 101 teacher, said passenger screen doors (pictured) were the “ultimate solution” to preventing accidental deaths at train stations.
