Boy survives fall from train

12 May 2016 - 23:44 By TASCHICA PILLAY

When a KwaZulu-Natal father received a call that his son had fallen out of a train, he feared the worst.But the "power of God" saved his seven-year-old, said Paul Mnikathi.Langelihle, admitted into Durban's King Edward Hospital, was travelling by train from school in Shallcross, Chatsworth, to his home in Hammarsdale, near Pietermaritzburg, on Wednesday, when an open door created a vacuum that sucked him out of his carriage .Mnikathi said: "Langelihle finished school early because they did not have water at school."While on the train he went looking for his sister, passing the doorway. Two older school children had opened the train door and Langelihle was sucked out into a dark tunnel."He was so brave to use his tie to wrap around his head to stop the bleeding. He then tried to crawl out the tunnel. While making his way out about four trains passed him."He said his son saw a stranger in the dark and called out for help, but the person was scared and ran off, notifying a security guard that someone was in the tunnel.The security guard and three bikers who were in the area called for help.Mnikathi, a security guard whose wife died last April, said his older son told him about the accident."I was traumatised and shocked. I thought he died because I knew if someone falls out of a moving train they do not survive. When I saw him and he called out to me, tears rolled down my face. I was so happy he was alive," he said.The Grade 2 pupil from Parkland Primary said he was not scared."I am feeling better. I wish I could go home."The brave boy injured his leg and suffered cuts to his head...

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