Kanhangad: A class 10 student died as she was hit by a train on Wednesday evening near Kanhangad railway station. The deceased is Pavithra (15), daughter of Murukan and late Karthika, hailing from Kushalnagar, Kanhangad. 

The accident happened on Wednesday evening on the south side of the railway station while she was returning from school. Normally, her friends accompany her, but she was alone on Wednesday. As usual, she crawled underneath a goods train parked on the second track. However, she was hit by the Coimbatore-Bengaluru Express while trying to cross the third track. Onlookers had reportedly warned her against crossing the tracks.

She died on the spot. Her body was shifted to the district hospital after inquest proceedings. 

Like Pavithra, many people, including college and school students, regularly use the area between the platform and the Kushalnagar railway gate to cross the track. For the last several decades, the locals have been requesting the railway authorities to construct an overbridge here.

Kanhangad Congress block general secretary KP Mohanan said that locals had even requested the railway general manager about the need to construct a railway bridge. "Railway authorities said they could build an overbridge if the 'Vikasana Samithi' or Kanhangad municipality paid for the project. However, railway authorities backed away from their promise after locals started to contribute large sums for the project."