Woman dies trying to save cow from train
In a heart-wrenching incident, a 62-year-old woman, who tried till the last minute to rescue a cow that was stuck on a railway track at Pettavaithalai on the outskirts of Tiruchy, was run over by a train. Unfortunately, the cow that sustained serious injuries also succumbed later.
Sources said that Rajeswari, a resident of Sirugamani, near Srirangam, had taken her cows to a grazing field close to the Pettavaithalai railway track on Sunday evening. After grazing, Rajeswari was herding the cattle back home. Suddenly one of the cows stepped into the track and got stuck when the Jammu-Tawi Express bound for Tiruchy was coming on the track. On seeing this, Rajeswari ran and tried to push the cow out of the rails. But, it could not move out and the woman did not abandon her efforts to save the animal.
As the train was fast approaching, onlookers shouted at the woman to move out of the track. Rajeswari tried till the last minute and when she was about to pull the cow out of danger the train ran over her. While Rajeswari died on the spot, the cow that was severely injured died a little later. On information from locals, a team of the railway police retrieved the body and sent it to Kulithalai GH for post mortem. The carcass was also removed and buried near the railway track.
The railway police said that they had displayed warning boards across the area to avoid crossing the tracks. Still, people who take cattle for grazing crossed the track carelessly. They also warned of cases against those who involve in such offence.