Two Kerala nursing students killed by Vande Bharat in Bengaluru

Two first-year BSc nursing students from Kerala were killed on November 23 afternoon after being hit by the Bengaluru–Belagavi Vande Bharat Express near Chikkabanavara railway station, casting a pall of grief over their college community and hometowns.

The deceased were identified by the Government Railway Police (GRP) as Sterlin Eliza Shaji, 19, and Justin Joseph, 20 — both from Pathanamthitta district in Kerala, and enrolled at Sapthagiri College while residing at a nearby paying guest facility.

The incident occurred around 2.35 pm when the high-speed Vande Bharat train, having left the station, was accelerating towards Belagavi. Officers said the impact killed the students instantly, leaving their bodies dismembered on the tracks.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the students were possibly crossing the railway track on their way back to their accommodation. However, police have not ruled out the possibility of suicide and are currently reviewing CCTV footage and digital evidence to determine the circumstances leading up to the tragedy.

The Bengaluru Rural Railway Police and Yeshwanthpur Railway Police station have registered an Unnatural Death Report (UDR). Both agencies are probing the students’ recent activities and personal backgrounds, while the railway authorities have separately initiated an internal inquiry.

The bodies have been shifted to MS Ramaiah Hospital for post-mortem examination. Family members, who arrived in Bengaluru late Sunday, are assisting authorities as further formalities continue.

The incident has once again raised concerns over unsafe pedestrian access across high-speed railway corridors and the risks posed by track-crossing near stations — especially in densely populated suburban pockets.