A 24-year-old Indian-origin woman and her friend were killed after being struck by a subway train at a station in lower Manhattan, according to reports from US media.
The victims were identified as Malaika Chitre, from Dayton, New Jersey, and Navam Kaul, of Sayreville, New Jersey. Both had attended Rutgers University, according to the New York Daily News.
The fatal incident occurred at the Spring Street subway station early Sunday morning and involved a downtown No. 4 train travelling on the local tracks.
What Happened at the Spring Street Subway Station?
According to reports, the circumstances leading to the two victims being on the tracks remain under investigation.
The New York Daily News reported that it was unclear who entered the tracks first. The New York Post, citing law enforcement sources, reported that Kaul may have fallen onto the tracks or entered them before Chitre apparently went down in an attempt to help him.
A video circulating online reportedly captures moments immediately before the train reached the pair. However, the footage by itself does not establish the sequence of events or explain why either person was on the tracks.
Police were reportedly notified at around 3:14 a.m. Sunday after the train was unable to stop before reaching the victims.
The two 24-year-olds died at the scene. Their bodies were recovered from beneath the third and fourth cars of the train, according to the New York Daily News.
Approximately 100 passengers were reportedly aboard the subway at the time. They were evacuated onto the platform following the incident.
Authorities have not publicly established the precise sequence of events leading to the deaths.
Who Were Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul?
Chitre and Kaul had both been associated with Rutgers University.
According to the New York Daily News, Kaul attended Rutgers Business School in New Brunswick between fall 2020 and spring 2024 but did not receive a degree.
Chitre graduated from Rutgers-New Brunswick School of Arts and Sciences in May 2024 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
Their professional profiles also showed that both had moved into careers after their university years.
Chitre worked as an operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, while Kaul was employed as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg, according to their LinkedIn profiles cited in the report.
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Rutgers Mourns Former Students
Rutgers University expressed sadness after learning about the deaths of the two former students.
“We are saddened to learn of the tragic death of these two former students,” Dory Devlin, assistant vice president of news and media relations at Rutgers, said, according to the report.
The deaths have drawn attention in New Jersey because of the victims’ connections to the state and their shared history at Rutgers.
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Investigation Continues
The fatal subway incident remains a matter for investigators, and the available reports do not yet provide a definitive account of how Chitre and Kaul ended up on the tracks.
While online footage has circulated widely, it is important not to draw conclusions about the victims’ actions or assign responsibility based solely on the video. The official investigation will be necessary to establish the sequence of events.
The tragedy has also renewed attention on the dangers of entering subway tracks, where an approaching train can leave little or no time for intervention.
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