Two Indian-origin friends were fatally struck by a New York City subway train after they were found sitting on the tracks at a Manhattan station early Sunday morning, according to reports.
Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul, both 24, were on the tracks at Spring Street station in downtown Manhattan shortly after 3 a.m. when a No. 4 train approached, an incident report obtained by the New York Daily News said.
The train operator told supervisors that she spotted the pair sitting on the tracks and immediately attempted to stop the train. According to the report, Malaika was laughing and appeared to be pulling Navam towards her when the train struck them.
It remained unclear whether Navam had accidentally fallen onto the tracks or climbed down himself. Police sources mentioned that Malaika appeared to have attempted to pull him towards her moments before the collision.
A video circulating on social media appeared to show the two sitting on the tracks shortly before they were hit. The train operator activated the emergency brakes but was unable to bring the train to a stop in time.
Emergency personnel found both victims beneath the train and pronounced them dead at the scene. Approximately 100 passengers were evacuated from the train following the collision, according to the Daily News.
Investigators are examining whether intoxication may have played a role, including the possibility that the pair may not have fully realised the immediate danger posed by the approaching train, the Post reported. No suicide notes were found, although investigators had not ruled out suicide as a possible motive.
Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul were longtime friends and had both graduated from Rutgers University in New Jersey in 2024, according to their LinkedIn profiles.
