A 12-year-old boy prevented a train accident in the Malda district of West Bengal as he waved his red shirt to an approaching passenger train after spotting a damaged track, officials said on Monday.

The loco-pilot picked up Mursalin Seikh's signal and applied the emergency brake immediately to stop the train just in time.

The incident took place last Thursday near the Bhaluka road yard.

"A 12-year-old boy in Malda has defined bravery after he waved his red shirt to make the loco-pilot of a speeding passenger train stop the train from crossing a rain damaged portion," Sabyasachi De, Chief Public Relations Officer, Northeast Frontier Railway, said in a statement.

He said the porion was damaged at a location where soil and the pebbles were washed away by the rain.

"The boy named Mursalin Seikh, son of a migrant labour of the nearby village, was also present in the yard with the railway staff. On noticing a rain-damaged portion under the tracks, the boy acted sensibly at that point of time and alerted the loco pilot of an approaching passenger train by waving his red shirt along with other on duty railway staff," De said.

The portion of the damaged track was repaired and the operations were resumed later.

"NF Railway authorities today rewarded the brave boy with a certificate and cash award for his valour. Malda North MP Khagen Murmu along with Divisional Railway Manager of Katihar Shri Surendra Kumar reached the boy's home and rewarded him and appreciated his effort. NFR salutes the boy's approach towards society being a teenager," De said.

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