3 youths posing for selfie run over by train in Mathura

While Yakub (22), Iqbal (23) and Afzal (20) were killed in the incident, Anif (23) chose to stay away and survived.

According to police, Mehrauli-resident Afzal, who was driving his Alto, had picked up his cousins Yakub, Iqbal and Anif for the Agra trip. On the way, they decided park the car near a railway track at at around 7 am at Kotvan checkpost to relieve themselves.

Anif told the police that his cousins heard a train approaching and decided to take a selfie with a moving train in the backdrop. “The three youths reportedly tried to pull Anif along, but he chose to keep out of the plan and he stood at a safe distance from the tracks watching his cousins,” police said.

According to the police, the three youths stood on the tracks till the train came too close thinking that they would sprint onto the adjoining rail tracks just in time. However, within seconds, another train approaching from the opposite direction on the adjoining track knocked them down.

“The youths managed to jump on the other track but they did not realise that another train was approaching from the opposite side on that track,” police said. “Anif told us that the youths wished to click a selfie and post it on Facebook to bag ‘likes’. Despite Anif trying to pull them off the track, they did not listen. Anif said that even when they were standing on the track, waiting for the train, he tried to dissuade them but they did not listen,” an official said.

Anif, who witnessed the incident, called police, who later sent the bodies for post mortem. “We have not registered any case in the matter till now. We have sent the bodies for a postmortem examination and further action will be taken once the report is out,” the official added.