New heartbreaking details have emerged after a father and daughter were killed after a stroller carrying his twin daughters rolled onto train tracks.
Credit: ABC News
As previously reported, the tragedy unfolded at Carlton Railway Station in Sydney on Sunday (July 21), as a stroller carrying two twin girls rolled onto the tracks.
Spotting the oncoming train, the 40-year-old father - who has since been widely praised for his bravery - jumped onto the tracks in an attempt to rescue his daughters.
The train - which was traveling from Cronulla to Bondi Junction and was not scheduled to stop at Carlton Station - approached the platform as the stroller lay on the tracks.
NSW Police Superintendent Paul Dunstan said the father performed "an incredibly brave and heroic act" by leaping onto the tracks.
Tragically, he and one of his daughters were killed.
The girls' mom is said to be in a state of shock.
The brave father has since been identified as Anand Runwal, who moved to Australia in October 2023 with wife Poonam and his children from India.
The family seen prior to the tragedy. Credit: Channel 9
After arriving in the country, Anand landed an IT job in North Sydney. His employers have since said in a statement: "We are deeply shocked and saddened by the tragic passing of our colleague and his small child on Sunday.
"Our prayers are with his wife, his other child, extended family and colleagues. We are providing every possible support to his family during this time of grief, and also in touch with local authorities."
Witness Lauren Langelaar - who was working across the road when the tragedy unfolded - recalled the heartbreaking series of events to the Daily Mail, revealing she ran to the platform after hearing the mother's screams.
"I ran out to help the mother because I could just hear her screaming while looking down onto the tracks," Langelaar said. "It all happened very quickly.
"I was down on the platform helping the mother try and scream out to her children and husband under the train."
Langelaar revealed that as a station employee called the emergency services, she could only "hear one child crying".
When officers arrived at the scene, police asked Langelaar to restrain mom Poonam while officials jumped down onto the train tracks.
Langelaar revealed that the daughter who thankfully survived had " hardly a scratch on her".
The desperate mom allegedly "begged" the paramedics to let her hold her daughter, but was refused at first as they needed to assess any potential injuries.
"She just wanted to hold her," Langelaar said.
The mom then screamed: "Where is my husband and other child?"
Security footage captured prior to the tragedy shows the father, holding the pram with his twin daughters, and the mother, managing a trolley bag as they made their way to the train platform.
The family, who had recently arrived in Australia from India, were on what should have been a routine outing.
After crossing the road and using the elevator to reach the platform, the pram, which contained the two-year-old girls, rolled onto the tracks.
Superintendent Dunstan says the parents took their hands off the stroller for "a very short period of time". The stroller then started to roll toward the tracks - which could have been caused by something as simple as "a gust of wind".
"He gave his own life to try and save his children," Dunstan added.
Anand and Poonam had celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary earlier this year.
Our thought continue to go out to anybody impacted by this tragedy.