Australians have rallied behind a mother who saw her husband and two-year-old daughter die when they were hit by a train, only to be told they could be deported within days.
Anand Runwal, 40, and his wife Poonam, 39, were on a family outing with their twin daughters when the girls’ pram rolled onto the tracks at Carlton Station, in Sydney’s south, about 12.25pm on Sunday.
Mr. Runwal heroically jumped from the platform in a valiant attempt to save his daughters, but a passing train struck and killed both the father and one of the little girls. The other child escaped virtually unscathed.
Mr Runwal and his wife Poonam had moved to Sydney from India with their twin daughters in October 2023 after he got a job at an IT company in North Sydney.
Mr Runwal was in Australia on a skilled worker visa. His wife and children were listed as dependents on the same visa.
Because Ms Runwal’s visa is dependent on her husband’s work visa, her right to remain in Australia is now at risk as she grapples with this heartbreaking tragedy.
The prospect of a grieving mother and daughter being deported has been widely condemned by Australians online, with many calling on Immigration Minister Andrew Giles to grant them a longer stay.
“She’s going through the most horrible thing in her life. Please let her stay, grieve, find a way forward,” one person said.
Anand Runwal (pictured with his family) died on Sunday along with one of his twin daughters after jumping onto the train tracks at Carlton Station to save them
A pram with the two two-year-olds had rolled onto the track and Mr Runwal bravely jumped in to help
“I sincerely hope that our federal Immigration Minister will allow them to stay on a compassionate basis,” said another.
“Which reps should we contact to let them know we want them to stay,” added a third.
‘No, we can’t let this happen. This is so un-Australian, how can we help her,’ asked a fourth.
The revelation comes after witness Lauren Langelaar told Daily Mail Australia that the surviving twin sister, who was pulled from 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 said they “only heard one child crying”.
Ms Runwal (pictured with her family) and her surviving daughter could face deportation from Australia over visa issues
When the police arrived, they told Mrs. Langelaar to hold the mother while the officers jumped onto the tracks.
‘While I was sitting [Ms Runwal] “When the girl came down, she was pulled out from under the train, she barely had a scratch on her face, she was just crying,” said Mrs Langelaar.
She said Mr Runwal “begged” emergency workers to hand over her daughter so she could hold her, but was initially refused when the toddler’s injuries were assessed.
“At first she didn’t want the emergency services to examine her, they just wanted to hold her,” said 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.
Mrs Langelaar said a man tried to stop the driver to warn him of the danger, but was unsuccessful.
“There was apparently a man who tried to stop the train, but because the train wasn’t supposed to stop there at all, he didn’t stand a chance,” she said.
New South Wales Police Chief Paul Dunstan said the parents appeared to have only taken their hands off the stroller “momentarily” before 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’.
Shocking accounts describe Mrs Runwal screaming for her family to get off the tracks, while a nearby train worker told emergency services they could ‘only hear one child crying’ (pictured Mr Runwal with his daughters)
According to Paul Dunstan, Chief of the New South Wales Police, an investigation is underway to determine what caused the pram to roll. He said it could have been something as simple as a ‘gust of wind’ (pictured are relatives at the scene of the accident).
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 taking new measures 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.’