Hugs, kisses before tragedy: Indian-origin woman jumped to save friend, both killed

The operator attempted to stop the train but could not prevent the collision.

An Indian-origin woman may have jumped onto a New York City subway track in an attempt to rescue her friend after he ended up on the tracks, before both were fatally struck by an approaching train, according to a report by the New York Post citing law-enforcement sources.Malaika Chitre, 24, and her longtime friend Navam Kaul, also 24, were killed at the Spring Street subway station in Lower Manhattan at around 3.15am on Sunday. Both were recent graduates of Rutgers University and had recently begun their professional careers.According to the New York Post, Chitre and Kaul were seen hugging and kissing on the platform shortly before the incident. Kaul then appeared to lose his balance and fall onto the tracks, hitting his head, prompting Chitre to go down after him to help.Law-enforcement sources told the Post that it remained unclear whether Kaul fell or deliberately made his way onto the tracks. But investigators were examining the possibility that Chitre followed him in an attempt to pull him to safety.An incident report obtained by the New York Daily News said the train operator told supervisors that she saw Chitre and Kaul sitting on the tracks as a southbound No. 4 train entered the station.

The operator attempted to stop the train but could not prevent the collision.The report said Chitre appeared to be laughing and pulling Kaul towards her when the train struck them. Video footage circulating on social media also appeared to show the pair sitting together on the tracks shortly before the train arrived.The train operator activated the emergency brake, but there was not enough time to stop, according to reports.

About 100 passengers were later evacuated from the train.Investigators are also examining whether alcohol or drugs played a role and whether the pair may have been too impaired or disoriented to understand the danger. However, there has been no official finding that either was intoxicated.Suicide has also been considered, but investigators have not concluded that the deaths were intentional. The New York Post reported that no suicide note was found at the scene.Chitre, who was from South Brunswick, New Jersey, graduated from Rutgers with a degree in public health and was working as a quality operations specialist at Acadia Pharmaceuticals while pursuing a Doctor of Pharmacy degree at Temple University. Kaul, from Sayreville, graduated from Rutgers Business School with a degree in finance and worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg.The two were part of the same social circles and South Asian community around Rutgers and had remained close friends after graduating in 2024.