Following the Carlton station incident on Sunday 21 July, where a pram rolled onto the tracks leading to the deaths of a father, Anand Runwal, and one of his daughters, there have been concerns in the community as to what will happen to the remaining family.
Claims have emerged in some publications that the surviving members of the Runwal family, mother Poonam and the second twin child, are at risk of being “deported” back to India due to their dependency on Anand’s working visa.
A source close to the family who has wished to remain anonymous, has told Indian Link “this is all fake news”, expressing their frustration with what’s been circulating in the media.
“It is Poonam’s wish to go back to India, she just moved here 6-8 months ago and has no one else left here,” they said.
“Going back to India is her choice because she will be with her family, friends and people who will support her.”
Despite Anand’s visa expiring on 1 August, the family had intended to stay in Australia. In a post uploaded on the Indians in Sydney Facebook group, Anand Runwal looked for support from the community on how they can extend their visa. However, with this sudden change in circumstances, things are looking drastically different for Poonam and her remaining child, who is understandably assessing her options.
When asked about what the community can do to support her, the source revealed, “The family is doing well financially and that is why there are no existing fundraisers. Any existing ones need to be reported as they are unlawful.” This statement has also been echoed in the Sydney Indians group on Facebook.
With Anand having worked at IT giant Infosys, the source also explained that the “workplace is doing an incredible job supporting Poonam with so much. Paperwork, insurance, everything. You name it and they are helping. So, any news about blacklisting them because they are not helpful is also not true.”
News of the incident which occurred on Sunday has circulated across the world, with support and condolences pouring in for the family from Australia’s Indian community and beyond.
The Durga Temple in Melbourne conducted a prayer for the deceased on Tuesday 23 July saying, “Tributes and condolences to heroic father, Anand Runwal who died alongside one of the two-year-old twin daughters at Carlton Railway Station, Sydney. May Mata Rani bless their souls and give strength to the family. Jai Mata Di.”
Commuters are also calling for enhanced safety measures at train stations to prevent such incidents from reoccurring. In a statement to the media, Sydney Trains CEO Matt Longland addressed the challenges of implementing certain safety solutions across Sydney’s extensive 500-platform network, citing the variety of trains and their differing door positions as significant obstacles.
Specifically, the installation of platform screen doors requires precise alignment with train doors and a compatible signalling system, a task more feasible on the uniform Sydney Metro fleet.
Meanwhile, simpler safety enhancements such as “gap fillers” are being deployed to prevent people and items from falling between the train and platform.
To date, 19 stations have been fitted with these rubber strips. Longland reiterated that safety remains a top priority and that any additional recommendations from the police investigation into the Carlton incident will be taken into account.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has expressed caution in committing to measures like the glass barricades used in Metro stations but has assured the public that the Government will implement necessary steps to improve safety.
In the wake of the Carlton tragedy, he has also reminded the public to stay well behind the yellow line and clear of the platform edge, particularly when supervising young children, to prevent further accidents.
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