One-year-old girl dies after being struck by freight train in NSW

A toddler has died after being struck by a freight train near Narrabri in New South Wales. Emergency services were called to Baranbah Street in the tiny village of Baan Baa in the state’s north at 7.50pm on Friday. The one-year-old girl was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics at the scene before being taken to hospital, where she died. Officers from Oxley police district were told the child was walking along the road before being clipped by the train. Interactive Oxley police District Supt David Cooper said the child was playing with several other children when she was struck. “The parents were not in the immediate vicinity, but we are aware of where the parents were, and the supervision of the child is not in doubt. “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.” He said lights and boom gates activated as the unladen freight train approached the level crossing at Baan Baa. “I want to highlight that this is nothing but an absolute tragedy and our heartfelt condolences go out to the family,” he said. “This will have a broad impact on the community, and we want to make sure everybody gets the support they need. “I can only imagine the horror and grief that they [the family] are in at the moment.” The train driver, a 22-year-old man, was not hurt but was taken to hospital for mandatory testing. Cooper said the driver did not realise the train had struck the child until he was notified shortly after and immediately stopped the train. “There is no suggestion at all that the train diver had any negligence, and I feel for that young man as well,” Cooper said. “The small community of Baan Baa and the emergency personnel that attended, we are going to be wrapping our support around those people, the family.” Police said a report would be prepared for the coroner. Fewer than 50 families live in the town of Baan Baa, about 500km north-west of Sydney. The NSW premier, Chris Minns, described the accident as a “shocking, shocking death”. “Today is a moment to say the sympathies from everyone in NSW is with that family, what a terrible tragedy.”