Engrossed in mobile game, teen gets crushed by train

A Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinee was killed in Natore when a goods train hit him while he was playing a video game on his mobile phone.

The incident took place in Baora village of Lalpur upazila on Thursday night.

The deceased, Faruk Hossain, 18, from Baora, was a student of Gopalpur Pouro Technical and Business Management College.

Lalpur police station Officer-in-Charge (OC), Selim Reza, said an Ishwardi-bound freight train crushed a youth around 9:30pm.

Informed, railway police recovered the body and a mobile phone, he said, adding that the deceased was identified by his family later. 

After an autopsy, the body was handed over to the family on Friday, OC Selim added.

Bachchu Mia, father of the deceased, said his son started playing mobile games regularly when educational institutions closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

As usual, Faruk and his three other friends were playing games sitting on the railway tracks since Thursday evening.

Although his friends left the place after playing for a while, Faruk was on his mobile game there alone, he said.

He was crushed to death, failing to notice the train, Bachchu said.