Udvada accident victim: I will stand on my feet, take the train again

Less than a fortnight has passed since Aspi Sepoy lost both his legs after he slipped in the gap between the platform and a moving train at Udvada station, but he is already keen to get back on his feet

Aspi Sepoy is recovering in a Mumbai hospital

Less than a fortnight has passed since Aspi Sepoy lost both his legs after he slipped in the gap between the platform and a moving train at Udvada station, but he is already keen to get back on his feet, and return to work. And, thanks to the generosity of the Parsi community, this will soon be possible.

Sepoy, the caretaker of the Parsi museum in Udvada, was trying to board a train home when he fell. The moving train crushed his knees, forcing doctors to amputate his legs.

mid-day had reported that the deadly gap between the platform and train at Udvada station had injured several other people in the past. Despite this, Sepoy is determined to get back to his normal routine, including his daily train commute to and from work.

Also read: Gap between platform and station in Parsi town Udvada costs man both legs

'My kids need me'

Speaking to mid-day for the first time since the accident, he said he was in pain but is recovering slowly. Lying in bed no 14 of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) on the second floor of the BD Petit Parsee General Hospital at Breach Candy, Sepoy said, "I will get back on my feet and work. And I will catch the train again. There are no shortcuts and alternatives. I have two kids - one is seven and the other is 11 - if I stay down like this, who will raise them? My wife is no longer alive and my kids need me. God is great and he is with me. I will fight this out."

Offering thanks
Talking between nebulisation sessions, he added, "That day, the trains switched platforms at the last minute, resulting in a rush to catch the train and ending in this mishap. I was lucky to survive and thank everyone who took effort to help me."

If all goes well, Sepoy will soon be able to get back on his prosthetic feet and get back to work at the museum. And when he does, he will be welcomed by a safer train ride at Udvada station, where the Western Railway (WR) is already raising the height of the platform. The authorities intend to complete the work by October 31.

Also read: mid-day editorial: Dear WR, don't just mind the gap, remove it

Rs 15 lakh
Amount raised by the community to get prosthetic limbs for Sepoy

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