Kasaragod: A five-year-old girl, knocked down by a passing express train five days ago, died in hospital on Thursday. The girl, Mariaym Naval Thahir (5), daughter of Aasiya and Thahir Najad of Thaivalappu in Chengala panchayat, was in the ICU with severe head injuries, said Thaivalappu ward representative Aboobacker Karumanam.

She passed away around noon at Aster MIMS Hospital in Kasaragod, where she had been under treatment since the accident.

The incident occurred around 6 pm on April 18 at Nangi Mogral in Mogral village, near Kasaragod town. Mariaym and her maternal grandmother, Nafeesa of Adukathbayal in Kasaragod town, were walking along the track after visiting a bereaved relative's house. 

According to residents, the Maveli Express, running from Mangaluru towards Kasaragod, passes through the stretch around that time. It is suspected that the child ran towards the track as the train approached, and Nafeesa rushed to pull her away. 

“We are not sure if the train hit them or they were thrown off balance by the gust of the train,” said Aboobacker, adding that both suffered head injuries. Nafeesa’s condition is said to be stable but remains in the ICU. 

“She is not in a position to speak,” Aboobacker said. No one else saw the accident. Thahir Najad, who works in Dubai, is flying back home. Mariaym is also survived by a younger sibling.

Kumbla police have registered a case of unnatural death.