Lower Manhattan, New York City | Malaika Chitre and Navam Kaul, both 24, died after a subway train struck them at Spring Street station.
Indian-Origin Woman, Friend Killed in NYC Subway Tragedy
An Indian-origin woman and her Nepali-American friend were killed after being struck by a subway train at a station in Lower Manhattan, according to reports citing New York police and law-enforcement sources.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Malaika Chitre of Dayton, New Jersey, and 24-year-old Navam Kaul of Sayreville, New Jersey. They were reportedly on the roadbed at the Spring Street subway station when a southbound No. 4 train struck them at around 3:15 a.m. local time.
New York Police Department officers responded to reports that two people required assistance at the station. Emergency personnel found Chitre and Kaul on the tracks after the collision, and both were pronounced dead at the scene.
Train Operator Reportedly Applied Emergency Brake
A video recorded by a bystander and circulated on social media appeared to show the two friends on the tracks shortly before the train entered the station. Authorities had not publicly confirmed the complete sequence of events leading to the collision.
According to reports citing law-enforcement sources, investigators were considering whether one person had fallen or climbed onto the tracks and the other had followed in an attempt to help. The train operator reportedly saw them and activated the emergency brake but could not stop the train before impact.
Approximately 100 passengers were evacuated from the train after the incident. Officials did not immediately report injuries among passengers or Metropolitan Transportation Authority personnel.
NYPD Investigates Why Friends Were on Tracks
The circumstances that led Chitre and Kaul onto the roadbed remain unclear. Detectives were reportedly examining several possibilities, including whether alcohol or another form of impairment may have affected their understanding of the danger.
No suicide notes were reportedly found. Investigators had not announced an official finding about whether the deaths were accidental or intentional. The NYPD said its investigation remained underway, making it important to avoid drawing conclusions before authorities complete their review.
Entering subway tracks is extremely dangerous because trains may approach quickly, operators have limited visibility and heavy rail vehicles require significant distance to stop even after emergency brakes are applied.
Victims Remembered by Friends and Neighbours
Chitre reportedly worked as an operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals, while Kaul worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg. Both were alumni of Rutgers University and had graduated around the same period. Friends and acquaintances remembered Kaul as friendly, humorous and charismatic. Members of the local South Asian community said the two belonged to the same social circle and shared connections through community gatherings and festivals.
A neighbour of Chitre’s family described her as a bright and intelligent young woman who was known in the neighbourhood. Friends and residents expressed shock as news of the deaths spread through their New Jersey communities.
Kaul was of Nepali heritage, and his parents reportedly immigrated to the United States around three decades ago. Chitre’s Indian-origin background and the pair’s close association with the South Asian community have brought wider attention to the tragedy. Police have not released a final account of how the two reached the tracks. Further details are expected after investigators review surveillance footage, witness accounts and other evidence connected to the incident.
