Pointsman, who saved child at a railway station in Maharashtra, awarded by ministry

The ministry of railways announced an award of Rs 50,000 for railway pointsman Mayur Shelke who saved the life of a six-year-old child while risking his own life at the Vangani station near Mumbai.

The ministry of railways announced an award of Rs 50,000 for railway pointsman Mayur Shelke who saved the life of a six-year-old child while risking his own life at the Vang station near Mumbai.

The staff of Central Railway honoured Shelke's efforts and felicitated him on Tuesday afternoon.

Shelke, on April 17, saved the life of the child who lost his balance while walking with his mother at platform number 2 of Vang railway station and fell on railway tracks, while a train was moving in his direction.

The CCTV footage of the incident, which was shared by the ministry of railways, showed Shelke running from another side of the railway tracks towards a boy while a train was just a few feet away.

The video grab showed the pointsman lifting the boy onto the platform and then pulling himself up. The thrilling incident was over within five seconds and the speeding train passed the spot where the child had fallen in less than two seconds.

Shelke told that the woman with the child was visually impaired.

"The woman was visually impaired. She could do nothing. I ran towards the child but also thought that I might be in danger too. Still, I thought I should save him. The woman was very emotional and thanked me a lot," he said.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal also applauded Shelke and tweeted: "His work and his thoughts are inspiring for us and for society. The entire railway family is proud of him."

( With inputs from ANI )