Kannur: A 12-year-old girl sustained head injuries when stoned were pelted at a moving train in Kannur.

Keerthana, daughter of Kottayam Pambadi Meenadam Kuzhiyath S Rajesh and Ranjini, was returning home after the Mookambika temple visit along with her family. They were travelling on Mangalore–Thiruvananthapuram Express.

The incident happened between Thazhe Chovva and Edakkad railway stations.

Keerthana, who was seated with her grandmother in the S-10 coach, was hit on her head by a stone. Seated on the window seat, she was enjoying the view outside and had just turned her head to her right when the stone stuck.

Others noticed her injury only when she cried out loud. She was bleeding profusely from the left side of her head. 

Railway staff and TTE reached the coach after hearing the commotion. By then, one of the passengers had brought the train to a stop by pulling the emergency chain.

A medical student, who was on the train, gave first aid care to the child.

As soon as the train reached Talassery, RPF and Railway staff took the girl to the Mission Hospital.

Later, she left for Kottayam with her parents by Malabar Express at 9.15 pm.

Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and the police searched the area from where stones were pelted.

The Railway officials cited recurring instances of stone pelting at the moving trains between Mangaluru and Kannur.

On August 30, school children were held for pelting stones at a moving train near Ullal station. 

Five cases have been charged over the past four weeks for placing stones on the railway track.

A woman rag picker was arrested last week for placing a metal bar with a heavy concrete base.