Featured Image Credit: ABC News
Topics: News, World News, Australia
Kit Roberts
A father has been called a hero after being killed by a train with his two-year-old daughter.
The man had been at the platform with his twin daughters and the girls' mom when the stroller the twins were sitting in rolled onto the tracks.
A train was approaching the platform at Carlton Station in Sydney, and the dad leapt onto the tracks to save his two children just before 12.30pm.
When police arrived at the station just minutes later they heard crying coming from underneath the train.
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They were able to save one of the twins, but tragically one child and the father were killed by the train.
The twins' mom was not physically harmed, but had watched from the platform as the horrific incident unfolded.
She and her daughter were taken to hospital for a checkup.
Now, the father has been hailed as a hero for his quick actions.
The state premier for New South Wales Chris Minns paid tribute to him, saying: “He gave his own life to try and save his children.
“It’s a very confronting and sad day for the St George community and for that family from the Kogarah area.”
The father was also praised by NSW police superintendent Paul Dunstan, who said: “He’s just gone into parent mode and tried to save his two young daughters.
“In doing so, it’s cost him his life. But it was an incredibly brave and heroic act.”
Dunstan went on to clarify that the mom was being supported by loved ones.
He said: “She’s being well supported by her friends and family but she’s clearly in a state of shock and struggling with what’s happened today."
The chief executive of Sydney Trains Matt Longland explained that two of the city's more 'experienced crew' had been driving the train.
He said: “It was approaching the station with caution. That’s how our drivers are instructed to drive in order that they can make sure that there’s no incidents on the platform.
“These sorts of incidents are incredibly rare, but clearly the outcomes are absolutely tragic.”
The train had been on the way from Cronulla to Bondi Junction and had not been due to stop at the station where the tragedy happened.
An investigation has now been launched which will look into how the tragic incident occurred, which will include examining the speed of the train and how the pram ended up on the tracks.