A father and his daughter died after the pram they were in rolled onto the tracks at a train station in Sydney. Anand Runwal, who was 40, was killed after he jumped from the platform to save his two young daughters.
One of the children survived, but the other one died alongside Mr. Runwal.
The NSW Premier Chris Minns described the father’s actions as an act of bravery. He said the incident shouldn’t go unremarked.
According to a former neighbor of the Runwals, the two little girls were described as miracle babies.
They were reportedly trying to have kids for around 10 years. A friend of the family said that the family was very happy and had a long history of being married.
He said it had been hard to explain the tragic incident to the children’s four-year-old brother.
According to the family’s friend, the four-year-old son cannot understand why his parents left India. It has been reported that the Runwals moved to Australia in late 2023, with Mr. Runwal working as an IT consultant for Infosys in North Sydney.
The company released a statement regarding the tragic incident. It expressed its condolences to the family and friends of Mr. Runwal.
In response to the tragic incident, Infosys has been providing its support to the family.
The company is also working with local authorities to help the family. Detective Superintendent Dunstan of the St George Police said that the family had been living in the southern part of Sydney.
Det. Superintendent Dunstan said that the wife was in a state of shock following the incident. CCTV footage showed the family as they walked to the station.
Mr Runwal pushed the pram as his wife followed behind him. The police are now trying to determine if a gust of wind was responsible for the incident.
According to Det. Supt. Dunstan, the father went into “parent mode” as his children fell onto the tracks. Despite the tragic outcome, he was praised for his heroic actions. Matt Longland, the chief executive of Sydney Trains, said that such incidents were incredibly rare.
The footage from the station has been sent to the NSW Police to understand the incident’s nature.