A 16-year-old boy from Belapur lost his fight for survival after being admitted for six days at the National Burns Centre, Airoli, following a stunt that went wrong while filming an Instagram reel atop a stationary train coach at Nerul railway station on July 6.
Arav Srivastava, a college student, got electrocuted after his hand came in contact with a high-voltage overhead wire as he posed on the unused garbage-filled train coach for a social media video. The powerful electric arc, reportedly at 25,000 volts, flung Arav off the coach, leaving him with 60-65 per cent burns and severe head trauma. He succumbed to his injuries on July 12.
Arav Srivastava
“He had deep electrical burns, internal trauma, and fall-related injuries. Despite intensive treatment, his condition deteriorated rapidly,” said a senior doctor from the National Burns Centre, Airoli. The incident has raised alarm over the rising trend of dangerous social media stunts among teenagers in Navi Mumbai.
Chasing reels, losing lives
According to the police, Arav and three of his friends had gone to Nerul railway station intending to shoot a “cool reel” for Instagram. None of them realised the fatal risk posed by the high-voltage electric wires above idle train coaches. The Vashi Government Railway Police (GRP) has registered an accidental death case and is reviewing CCTV footage and potential trespass violations.
Senior Police Inspector Kiran Undre of Vashi GRP said, “Arav Srivastava went to the railway station with his friends on July 6. He climbed onto a stationary train wagon loaded with garbage and started preparing to shoot for the reel to upload on social media when his hand came into contact with the overhead wire.”
According to Undre, this was not the first such case to come to light. “We are now increasing surveillance near sidings and railway yards where such stunts often happen. Parents must educate children about these dangers.”
Overhead wire dangers
>> Railway overhead lines carry 25,000 volts of current — fatal upon contact
>> An electric arc can leap and make contact without physical touch
>> Most victims suffer deep burns, neurological damage, or amputations
>> Survivors often face multiple surgeries and long-term disability
Police action
>> Trespassing on railway property is punishable under the Railways Act
>> The GRP can issue warnings, fines, or initiate juvenile FIRs
>> Mobile phones used for filming can be confiscated as evidence
