The woman is believed to have been killed on the spot.
A woman died after coming too close to a train while clicking a selfie. The incident took place in Mexico on Monday and the video of the incident is gaining traction on social media. According to local outlets, some people had gathered to click a photo of a vintage train with steam engine near Hidalgo as it was passing by. The woman came too close to the tracks while positioning herself for a selfie with the approaching train, known as the ‘Empress’.
MEXICO – In Hidalgo, a famous train that comes from Canada and travels all the way to Mexico City, attracting locals, struck a woman who was trying to take a selfie as the train approached. She passed at the scene. Article in comments. pic.twitter.com/32XdsCehEB
— The Many Faces of Death (@ManyFaces_Death) June 5, 2024
The clip shows the woman in orange top preparing to take a photo standing near a child. As the train approaches, the youngster ducks down and the woman readies for the snap.
She drops to one knee and the corner of the train engine hits her on the back of her head, sending her crashing forwards. The shocked child runs away as a nearby man grabs the victim’s body and drags it away from the passing train just inches away.
Mexican outlets said the woman was in her 20s and said she was with her son and children from a nearby school. She is believed to have been killed on the spot.
The ‘Empress’, with the official name Canadian Pacific 2816, is a steam locomotive built in 1930. The passenger train set out from Calgary in April to cross Canada, the US, and Mexico in a single trip as part of the Final Spike Steam Tour to celebrate a friendly merger that created Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC). The tour will conclude in Mexico City on Friday.
The train, restored for this event, will return to Canada in July, where it will be retired.
The Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) company said in a statement that they regret the incident and are collaborating with the police to carry out a full investigation.
“All those people who want to observe the passing of the train should remain at least 10 metres away from the tracks. People should never stop near or on the tracks themselves or try to climb onto the train or any railway infrastructure. Always be careful around railway tracks and trains,” CPKC said in the statement.