EXCLUSIVE
A mother who watched her husband and daughter die after being hit by a train faces deportation within days.
Anand Runwal, 40, and his wife Poonam, 39, were on a family outing with their two-year-old twin daughters when the stroller ended up on the tracks at Carlton train station in Sydney’s south at 12.25pm on Sunday.
Mr. Runwal heroically jumped from the platform in a valiant attempt to save them, but a passing train struck the father and one of the little girls, killing them. The other child escaped almost unharmed.
Mr Runwal and his wife Poonam only moved from India to Sydney with their twin daughters in October 2023, after he got a job at an IT company in North Sydney.
Now Daily Mail Australia can reveal that Mr Runwal was in Australia on a skilled worker visa, and that his wife and children were listed as dependents on the same visa.
The visa was due to expire on August 1 and Mr Runwal was in the process of renewing it.
Five weeks ago, Mr Runwal searched on Facebook for advice on the procedure for applying for expedited passports for him and his wife, as they needed to have their passports back in time to apply for new visas.
‘My visa expires on August 1, 2024, while my passport is [an] “Expiration date February 2025,” he wrote.
Anand Runwal and his wife Poonam Runwal moved to Sydney in October 2023 with their two-year-old twin daughters
‘According to my employer, my PP must be valid for at least 12 months from today to extend my visa.’
As Mrs Runwal’s visa is dependent on her husband’s work visa, this puts her visa rights at risk as she grapples with the heartbreaking tragedy of the death of her loved ones.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Internal Affairs for comment.
The revelation comes after witness Lauren Langelaar told Daily Mail Australia that the surviving girl – who was pinned under the train – had “barely a scratch” when she was eventually reunited with her distraught mother.
The girl was discharged from hospital on Monday morning.
Mrs Langelaar was working across the road when the tragedy occurred. She ran to the platform after hearing the mother scream for help.
“I ran outside to help the mother because I could hear her screaming while I was looking at the tracks,” said Mrs. Langelaar.
‘It all happened very quickly. I was standing on the platform helping the mother who was trying to scream at her children and husband under the train.’
Ms Langelaar said a Sydney Trains employee who was on the platform called emergency services and explained they heard “just one child” crying.
The pram, carrying two-year-old twin girls, rolled onto the railway tracks at Carlton train station in Sydney’s south on Sunday
The twins’ father heroically jumped onto the tracks to save his daughters, but was struck by a passing train, killing him and one of the little girls
When the police arrived, they told Mrs. Langelaar to hold the mother while the officers jumped onto the tracks.
Miraculously, one of the twin girls was pulled from under the train and emerged from the accident virtually unscathed.
“When I let her sit down, the little girl was pulled out from under the train. She barely had a scratch, she just cried,” said Mrs. Langelaar.
She added that the mother “begged” emergency workers to hand over her daughter so she could hold her, but was initially refused when the toddler’s injuries were assessed.
‘She refused to let the paramedics examine her at first, they just wanted to hold her [daughter]according to Mrs. Langelaar.
‘Then she kept shouting, “Where are my husband and my other child?”‘
Ms Langelaar said paramedics continued to examine the girl as she lay in her mother’s arms as she ‘did not appear to be injured’ and only had a ‘slight bump on the back of her head’.
The surviving child was taken with her mother to St. George’s Hospital, where they were examined by doctors before being discharged.
A woman, Lauren Langelaar, ran to the platform after hearing the mother’s screams and had to hold her while emergency services searched for her husband and children
Shocking surveillance footage showed the family minutes before the tragic accident
Mrs Langelaar said a man tried to stop the driver to warn him of the danger, but was unsuccessful.
‘Apparently there was a man who tried to stop the train, but because the train was not allowed to stop at that station, he didn’t stand a chance,’ said Mrs Langelaar.
New South Wales Police Commissioner Paul Dunstan said the parents appeared to have taken their hands off the pram for a “very short period” as it rolled towards the tracks.
Mr Dunstan said police were investigating what caused the pram to roll, and it may have been something as simple as a ‘gust of wind’.
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, who lives less than 100 metres from the station, said the father died in an “extraordinary, instinctive act of bravery”.
“He gave his own life to save his children,” he said.
Mr Minns described the incident as a “terrible, terrible tragedy” for the surviving family members and emergency services.
The Prime Minister did not rule out the possibility of new measures being introduced on the platforms to prevent similar tragedies.
“We will work with NSW Trains and the police and if changes are needed we will make them,” he said.
‘It’s too early to say, but I don’t want to close the door to any changes.
‘Train stations can be dangerous places and we should all be aware of that.’
Police have closed the station and launched an investigation into what caused the pram to roll onto the tracks
Flowers were laid at Carlton train station for the heroic father and his daughter who were killed by the train
Sydney Trains CEO Matthew Longland said he would not speculate on the outcome of the police investigation but would consider any recommendations to improve safety.
“Our first priority is to support those involved and cooperate with the investigation so that we have all the relevant facts and can fully understand the incident,” Mr Longland said.
‘We will consider all recommendations that emerge from the investigation. I would like to remind everyone to take extra care on the platforms when travelling on the rail network.
‘Stay behind the yellow line and stay well away from the edge of the platform. Train stations are very dangerous places.’
Mr Longland described the situation as ‘confronting’ and thanked emergency services for their efforts.
“It is clear that incidents like this can be quite confronting for everyone involved. I would like to thank all the emergency services for their efforts in dealing with such a difficult situation,” Mr Longland said.
Sydney Trains CEO Matthew Longland said he would not speculate on the outcome of the police investigation, but maintained that any recommendations to improve safety would be considered.
Officers were spotted at Carlton train station (pictured) on Monday as investigations into the tragedy continue
One possible safety measure could be platform screen doors, which have been installed in Sydney’s new metro network (see photo)
One possible safety measure could be the platform doors installed in Sydney’s new metro network.
Each door weighs 175 kilograms and is approximately 2.5 metres high, creating a complete barrier between the platform and the rails.
“The doors provide enhanced safety by creating a barrier between the platforms and the tracks, allowing passengers to move around the platforms more efficiently,” Sydney Metro said.
The platform doors were extensively tested before they were put into use for metro traffic in early 2024.