Kerala youth who collapsed on train & died had wedding slated this year, passengers' kind act goes in vain

Sreejesh, a resident of Chalakudy, struggles to come to grips with what happened in four days. He got a distress call from his brother Sreejith's fiancée, Surya on Monday and in a matter of a few hours, he was told his brother was dead.

A family mourns the death of 26-year-old Sreejith, who died after he complained of chest pain on the train while he was returning to Kerala from Hyderabad. Three passengers, who were total strangers, had done everything they could to save the man's life, leaving their trip mid-way, accompanying him to the hospital and staying till relatives came.

Sreejith, son of Subran and Usha of Mundopplly House, was coming home with his fiancée, Surya, their marriage to be held soon. Sreejith had plans to settle in Kerala and launch a new business along with his friends. Together, the family was hopeful of a new future. Now, Sreejesh speaks with a mix of grief and disbelief. 

"I received an early-morning call. On the other end was Surya, she was crying. She told me Sreejith was not feeling well and asked me to come quickly," he said.

Sreejesh rushed to the KSRTC stand, travelled to Thrissur, and took an auto to the location. On the way, he stayed in contact with Surya, who told him that the train would halt at Mulangunnathukavu station as the TTE had informed passengers that an ambulance would be waiting there.

Sreejesh reached Thrissur Medical College Hospital just five minutes after his brother was brought in. By then, Sreejith had already passed away. The doctor told him that Sreejith might have survived if he had arrived 10–15 minutes earlier. From what he learnt from the passengers, Sreejesh believes there were lapses on the part of the railway staff.

“From around 11.30 pm near Shoranur, Sreejith started showing signs of illness. He had chest pain, vomited and later had seizures. Surya was crying and called me. When passengers requested the TTE to stop the train for medical help, they were told an ambulance would be ready at Mulangunnathukavu. But when the train reached there, no ambulance was present. He was left on the platform for about 30 minutes. There was no first-aid kit on the train,” Sreejesh said. “My brother had no prior health issues. I later heard that a doctor on board performed CPR and briefly detected a pulse. Even when the ambulance finally arrived, it lacked basic facilities like an oxygen cylinder,” he added.

Sreejith and Surya had worked together at an Ayurvedic spa in Hyderabad. Their marriage, delayed after Surya’s father's passing, was to be held later this year or by mid-next year. “ Sreejith had quit his job and was returning to Kerala. He and his friends wanted to start a business related to the course they studied. He wanted to stay home, take care of things and repay loans,” said his brother.

Onmanorama spoke to a passenger, Aswin, who witnessed the incident. “I heard the girl crying. When we went to check, the boy’s eyes had rolled upwards and he was unconscious. A doctor nearby examined him. We requested the TTE to stop immediately as the doctor said he needed urgent care, but they insisted arrangements were in place at the next station,” he said.

“When we reached the station, around six or eight people carried him to the main entrance. One TTE brought a wheelchair, but there was no ambulance. We placed him on a bench and ran through the coaches calling for doctors. Another doctor came and gave CPR. The girl was pleading with everyone to help and even fell at our feet. The station master acted unaware of any ambulance and even tried to signal the train to move while passengers were still on the platform, but the TTE stopped it,” he added.

The ambulance arrived nearly 30 minutes later, around 1 am, but reached the hospital in about 10 minutes. Three passengers, including Aswin, a man from Kannur and another from Tamil Nadu, accompanied Surya. Minutes after arrival, doctors confirmed Sreejith’s death. “I still hoped he’d survive, but when I saw the videos later, I realised he was dead before reaching the hospital. The girl fainted on hearing the news. We stayed until the police and his brother arrived. We couldn’t leave her alone,” Aswin recalled.

“The passengers were the ones who helped. If the Railways had acted faster and arranged proper medical assistance, my brother might have lived. Everyone travels by train. What if this happens to someone else?” said Sreejesh. Sreejith’s family has filed a complaint against the Indian Railways with the District Collector and the Kerala High Court.

Meanwhile, the Southern Railway denied any lapse in medical response. “Despite unforeseen circumstances and passenger unrest, railway staff acted promptly, responsibly, and with compassion, ensuring the safety and well-being of all passengers. The train was delayed by about twenty-five minutes at Mulangunnathukavu due to disruption during the medical assistance process. The station master had explained that the ambulance was arranged at Thrissur, a major station just six minutes away from the nearest hospital,” the statement read.

The Railways further stated that some passengers resorted to chain-pulling, which halted the train again and caused additional delay. However, Aswin denied this. “We didn’t pull the chain to stop the train. If we wanted to do that, we should have done it much earlier,” he said.

The Kerala State Human Rights Commission has taken suo motu cognisance of the incident and registered a case over Sreejith’s death. Commission member V Geetha has directed the Thrissur City Police Commissioner and the Southern Railway Divisional Manager to submit reports. The Railway Protection Force has also begun a detailed investigation. Railway SP Shahinsha has instructed the Thrissur Railway Police to record statements from Sreejith’s co-passengers, TTEs and the station master as part of the inquiry. An officer-level inquiry has also been ordered in the Thiruvananthapuram division, according to the statement issued by the Railways.