Shepherd, 40 goats killed as train runs over them

A shepherd and his flock of 40 goats were killed when they were reportedly hit by a train near Koolpur village of Yamunanagar district.

The deceased has been identified as Ram Sharan of Gundiana village of the district.

The incident took place when the goats suddenly appeared on the track and the shepherd tried to save them.

The deceased’s son, Ram Ratan of Gundiana village, said his father Ram Sharan used to take the goats and sheep of his family out for grazing.

He said his father had taken about 50 goats for grazing on Wednesday and reached the Yamunanagar-Ambala railway track. He said when a passenger train was on the track, the herd of goats suddenly walked on to the rail track.

He added that his father Ram Sharan also stepped on the track to save the goats, but he, along with his 40 goats, was mowed down by the moving train. He said all of them died on the spot.

After getting information of the accident, the officials of the Government Railway Police (GRP) reached the spot.

After a postmortem at Civil Hospital, Ambala, the shepherd was cremated in his village on Wednesday.

Narsingh Pal, state president of Akhil Bhartiya Pal-Gadariya Mahasabha has written a letter to Haryana Agriculture Minister Shyam Singh Rana demanding financial help to the family of the deceased. “The state government should come forward and compensate financially to the poor family of the deceased shepherd,” said Narsingh Pal.