Perth man freed after not 'minding the gap'

People power used to free man who fell when boarding a train in Perth.

Perth commuters free man caught

West Australian commuters help free man caught between train and platform. (AAP)

Dozens of Australians tilted a train Wednesday to free a commuter whose leg was trapped between a carriage and a platform, with authorities praising their efforts as an example of "people power".
   
The man was boarding in the Western Australia city of Perth when he slipped and became jammed in the five-centimetre (two-inch) gap between the carriage and the station, operator Transperth said in a statement.
   
Passengers were initially told to move to the opposite side of the train in the hope their weight would shift it away from his leg, a passenger who gave his name as Nic told The West Australian newspaper.
   
But when that failed, staff told commuters to get off the train and about 50 of them lined up in a row along the platform to tilt the carriage away from the man so he could be lifted out.
"It is the first time we've seen something like this happen," Transperth spokeswoman Claire Krol told AFP.
   
"We were really fortunate that the staff were there straight away... and all of the passengers not only listened to the instructions from staff, but pitched in and helped.
   
"This is a real case of passengers of working together... and people power are the perfect words to describe it."
   
Transperth said the man was treated by paramedics but was able to catch a later train.
   
"The end result here is: really lucky for the man involved, but really nice as well to see that everyone came together as a community," Krol added.


Share
2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP

Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world