Three 18-year-olds, Natarajan Iyer, Chinmay Deosthalee and Chetan Gokhani lost their lives when they jumped off a local unmindful of another train approaching them. However, a fourth teenager, identified as Suhas, managed to escape. According to their friend Santosh Pandit, who witnessed the accident, it was a sense of reckless urgency that led to their deaths.

Recalling the incident at Ulhasnagar Central Hospital, where post-mortems were conducted on the three, Santosh said they were on their way to Gynanda Classes at Ulhasnagar on a local which left Ambernath at 7.10 pm, when it stopped at a crossing just after it left the station. Eager to reach their classes, which start by 8 pm, on time, the four decided to jump out of the train and trudge back to the station. They reckoned theywould reach the station in time for a fast local coming from Karjat.

Unfortunately for them, the local had already arrived and was on its way when they jumped into its path. Since the Ambernath local had stopped after a turn, the three boys didn't see the approaching local and were hit head-on at a speed of nearly 60 kilometres per hour. Suhas, however, managed to run across the tracks and save himself.

Chinmay and Chetan were thrown off the tracks, while Natarajan was dragged on for nearly 100 metres by the train. Their parents, too shocked to comment on the incident, claimed they didn't believe their boys would even stand by a train's door.

Railway officials have put the blame of the tragedy squarely on the students. ``They were trespassers, and unfortunately paid with their lives for taking the risk,'' said the chief public relations officer of Central Railway Mukul Marwah. On an average three such accidents occur on the suburban tracks every day. Nearly half of these cases end up in victims losingtheir lives. The remaining live the rest of their lives with amputated limbs. The railways have ordered an inquiry into the incident.