In a tragic incident, a 31-year-old man from the Panju Island died after he was struck by a coconut thrown from a moving train when it was passing over the Bhayandar creek bridge that connects the Thane and Palghar districts.
The coconut was apparently part of ‘nirmalya' (sacred floral offerings) thrown in the direction of the creek on Saturday morning.
The victim was identified as Sanjay Dattaram Bhoir. The coconut hit him while he was walking across the railway bridge to reach Naigaon. Due to inclement weather, the boat services from the island had been suspended, leaving him with no option but to take the route on foot along the railway tracks.
As Bhoir walked across the bridge, a commuter aboard a local train, presumably performing a ritual of Nirmalya, threw a coconut into the creek. Tragically, instead of landing in the water, the coconut reportedly struck Bhoir directly between his ear and eye with great force.
Passersby rushed him to a private hospital in Vasai. Then, he was transferred to JJ Hospital in Mumbai for further treatment of his severe head trauma. However, Bhoir succumbed to his injuries during the treatment.
The Government Railway Police, Vasai, has registered a case and investigations are in progress to identify the person who had thrown the coconut.
