Watch video: Central Railway man races before speeding train to save kid in Thane

This picture has been used for representational purpose

Displaying rare courage and presence of mind, a Central Railway employee raced an oncoming suburban train to save the life of a kid who fell on the railway track, here on Monday morning, officials said. The child, who was accompanied by his visually impaired mother, was lifted off the tracks and saved in the nick of the time.

The incident happened at Vangani Station of Central Railway in Thane and the Pointsman Mayur Shelke's feat earned him an appreciative tweet from Railway Minister Piyush Goyal. He was also felicitated by the Central Railway General Manager on Monday after his courageous act went viral on social.

A CCTV footage of the video was posted by the Ministry of Railways with a caption that read, "A Good Samaritan: At Vangani station of Central Railway, Pointsman Mayur Shelke saved the life of a child just in the nick of the time. He risked his life to save the life of the child. We salute his exemplary courage & utmost devotion to the duty (sic)."

As per CCTV footage, a woman is seen carrying a heavy rucksack walking on the platform when the child suddenly seems to stumble and fell onto the railway tracks below.

The footage also shows a local train speeding on the same direction when the Pointsman Shelke is seen running on that track from the opposite direction.

As the train speed headlong before him, he seemed to falter momentarily, but continued to sprint and help up the child who was trying to clamber on the high platform.

Shelke pushed the child up and also desperately flung himself as barely a second late the train zoomed on to the platform, but both the kid and Shelke were saved by virtually by a hair's breadth.

"Very proud of Mayur Shelke, Railwayman from the Vangani Railway Station who has done an exceptionally courageous act, risked his own life & saved a child's life," said Goyal in a tweet.

Further details of the woman and child, how they happened to be on the platform during the lockdown norms, etc, are awaited, but Shelke's feat has made him a darling of social media.

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