A man suffered critical burn injuries on Sunday after being electrocuted by overhead power lines while attempting to snap a selfie on top of a freight train at the Mancheswar railway station in Bhubaneswar, a statement issued by East Coast Railway (ECoR) said.
The man climbed onto a parked cargo wagon at the station to take a selfie. However, he accidentally brushed against the high-voltage overhead equipment (OHE) lines and was violently thrown to the ground, according to the statement from ECoR.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel stationed at the premises immediately rushed to his aid, rescuing the injured man and transferring him to the nearby railway hospital for urgent medical attention, it said.
After preliminary treatment at the railway hospital, doctors referred him to AIIMS-Bhubaneswar for advanced treatment, the statement noted.
In the wake of the incident, ECoR authorities issued a stern warning to the public, especially teenagers and young adults, urging them to never climb railway wagons, poles, coaches or any railway structure for selfies, photography, videography or social media content creation.
“Such dangerous acts also invite legal action under relevant provisions of the Railways Act,” it said.
