Puri: A tragic incident occurred in Odisha’s Puri district when a 15-year-old boy was struck and killed by a train while filming a reel for Instagram.

The victim, identified as Vishwajeet Sahu from Mangalaghat, had stopped at Janakdevpur railway station to record a short video on his way back home from the Dakshinkali temple with his mother.

Footage recovered from the scene showed Sahu standing dangerously close to the tracks as a speeding train approached. The powerful gust from the train caused his phone to fall, seconds before he was fatally hit. The Odisha Government Railway Police (GRP) later reached the spot, recovered the body, and sent it for post-mortem examination.

Rise in social media-related tragedies

The tragic case highlights the growing number of accidents linked to risky social media stunts across India. In a separate incident, a 14-year-old boy in Delhi accidentally hanged himself while attempting to film a reel at his home in the Trinagar area.

According to police, the video found on the boy’s phone showed him making multiple attempts to hang himself, apparently unaware of the fatal danger. The police have registered a case of suicide and launched an investigation into the Delhi incident.

Authorities have urged parents to monitor children’s online activities and discourage dangerous content creation attempts that can lead to fatal outcomes.