Two teenage brothers lost their lives after being struck by the Biramitrapur passenger train near Rourkela around 9:30 PM last night.
The victims, identified as Ranjan Patra (18) and his younger brother Jagan Patra (15), were residents of Haripur Basti in Basanti Colony.
According to reports, the brothers had earlier escorted their sister home from a mobile shop in Uditnagar. After dropping her off, they returned to the area to repair a mobile phone. While crossing the railway tracks on their way back home, they were hit by the train traveling from Barsuan to Birmitrapur. Both died instantly at the scene.
Government Railway Police (GRP) reached the spot promptly and sent the bodies to Rourkela Government Hospital for post-mortem. Ranjan was employed at a local hotel alongside his mother, while Jagan was a Class IX student at Uditnagar Government High School.
The incident has sparked renewed concerns over pedestrian safety near railway tracks and the need for better awareness and infrastructure to prevent such tragedies