Community Mourns After Toddler Killed in Freight Train Tragedy
The small country town of Baan Baa in western New South Wales is grappling with immense grief after a one-year-old girl was struck and killed by a freight train in what police describe as a tragic accident.
Details of the Heartbreaking Incident
The accident occurred on Friday night in the tiny village located near Narrabri. One-year-old Lily Chifor had wandered from her home into the path of an oncoming freight train while playing with her sister, Aria. The family had only moved to Baan Baa one week earlier, and the children were exploring their new surroundings.
Oxley Police District Superintendent David Cooper confirmed that Lily was playing with several other children at the time of the incident. "Our understanding is that the child was just playing. This is a really tragic case of a child that had gone to play in a bad location," Superintendent Cooper stated. He emphasized that "the supervision of the child is not in doubt" and that police were aware of the parents' location.
Community Response and Safety Measures
Emergency paramedics rushed the toddler to Narrabri Hospital, but she died a short time after arriving. The tight-knit community of Baan Baa has been deeply affected by the tragedy. The town's only business, a local pub, closed on Saturday as a mark of respect for the grieving family.
Narrabri Mayor Darrell Tiemens expressed the community's sorrow, stating "When it happens in a tiny little village like that, where everyone knows everyone, and a community like this, this is really, really hard to take." The busy rail line divides the town, but Mayor Tiemens confirmed that all necessary safety measures were in place, including boom gates and warning lights.
The 22-year-old male train driver emerged physically uninjured from the incident. He was taken for mandatory testing and is assisting police with their investigation into the circumstances surrounding this devastating accident.
