A tragic incident in New York has claimed the lives of two 24-year-old friends after they were struck by a subway train in Lower Manhattan.
The victims were identified as Malaika Chitre, an Indian-origin woman from New Jersey, and Navam Kaul, a Nepali-American man from Sayreville. Both were recent graduates of Rutgers University and had been longtime friends.
The incident happened at around 3:15 a.m. Sunday at the Spring Street subway station. The two were reportedly on the tracks when a southbound No. 4 train entered the station. The train operator saw them and attempted to stop using the emergency brakes, but was unable to prevent the collision. Both were pronounced dead at the scene.Investigators are still trying to determine how the two ended up on the tracks. One possibility being examined is that Kaul may have fallen or entered the tracks first, after which Chitre may have gone down to help him. Video circulating online appears to show the pair sitting together on the tracks shortly before the train arrived.
Police are also examining whether alcohol or other factors may have affected their awareness. No final conclusion has been reached, and authorities have not established that the incident was intentional.
Chitre had been working in the pharmaceutical sector and had recently begun pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. Kaul was working as a financial data analyst in New York.
