Kozhikode: An eight-year-old boy was critically injured after he was allegedly struck by a moving train near West Kannanchery in Kozhikode on Friday morning.

According to the Panniyankara police, the accident occurred near the Kannanchery underpass, between Feroke and Kallayi railway stations, at around 8 a.m. The boy, Faizan, son of Ahmed, a resident of Kannanchery, lived close to the railway tracks. His parents told the police that he was playing outside their house when the incident occurred. The exact circumstances leading to the accident remain unclear.

Police said the child was found lying near the railway track with severe head injuries shortly after the Yesvantpur–Kannur Express (Train No 16527) passed through the area. The train was on its way to Kannur when the accident is believed to have taken place.

Local residents rushed to the spot and rushed the unconscious boy to a nearby private hospital. He is currently undergoing treatment in the intensive care unit (ICU), and his condition remains critical. Railway and police authorities have launched an investigation to determine how the child came onto the tracks and the sequence of events that led to the incident.

The accident has once again raised concerns about the safety of children living in residential areas located close to busy railway lines.