Anand Runwal dreamt of moving to Australia. He died trying to save his daughters from a Sydney train.

Loved ones are paying tribute to the heroic father who tragically lost his life while attempting to save his twin girls from an oncoming train. It had been his dream to live in Australia with his family and parents.

Anand Runwal and his two-year-old daughter were killed by an oncoming train at Carlton railway station, near Kogarah in Sydney's south on Sunday afternoon.

Per the Sydney Morning Herald, the family arrived at the station and exited the lift onto the platform. For a 'brief moment' the couple let go of their double pram.

Carrying their twin daughters, the pram rolled onto the tracks. Runwal raced after them, jumping down onto the tracks, with witnesses saying the incident occurred in a matter of moments.

A train travelling to Cronulla that was not due to stop at Carlton, was not able to slow in time to avoid the collision.

"I ran out to help the mother because I could just hear her screaming while looking down onto the tracks," witness Lauren Langelaar told Daily Mail Australia.

"It all happened very quickly. I was down on the platform helping the mother try and scream out to her children and husband under the train."

Lauren told the outlet that Anand's wife, Poonam Runwal, was understandably distraught, begging to see if her family was okay.

"She refused at first for paramedics to check her out, she just wanted to hold her [daughter]," she said. "Then she continued to yell out, 'Where is my husband and other child?'."

Tragically, 40-year-old Anand and one of the twin toddlers, Hinal, died at the scene. The surviving toddler fell between the tracks and was miraculously left without serious injuries.

“He’s just gone into parent mode and tried to save his two young daughters and in doing so, it’s cost him his life," said NSW Premier Chris Minns. 

Poonam, who was traumatised after the disaster unfolded, has since been discharged from St. George Hospital.

The family had only recently immigrated to Sydney in October, and the tragedy has prompted an outpouring of grief from the local Indian community.

Speaking to ABC News, Anand's childhood friend Sreyas Gopalakrishnan Thottarath shared Anand's hope of bringing his parents to Australia.

"He likes to be in touch with friends every day… I settled in Dubai … he used to call me, he used to ask about my health," Sreyas said.

"He was very friendly. He was very happy with Australia, his big dream was to have his mother and father in Australia."

Upon finding out the news, Sreyas was stunned, finding it hard to believe what he had just heard.

 "I was in a terrible shock ... there a no words to express [what's happened]," he said. "He's a hero. He used to send pictures, he was very much happy with his family."

While he hasn't spoken to Anand's widow, explaining that he doesn't "want to trouble her" during this devastating time, he has communicated with his family in India. 

"They're in terrible shock, they're not willing to talk," he said. "It's a big loss to the family."

Local Carlton residents have set up a makeshift vigil outside the train station, keeping Anand's family in their thoughts. 

"It's really, really sad to lose your child and to lose your husband at the same time," resident Sally Petreski told ABC News. "Honest to God, I feel so sorry for her, I don't know what she's going through."

Sally emphasised the need for action to make train platforms safer and prevent future incidents like this.

"Little kids are running around, they should have like a railing, just for protection."

Multiple investigations into the horrific incident, including a coronial inquiry, will identify any necessary changes to improve safety.

Sydney Trains chief executive Matt Longland said the train, which was not due to stop, had approached the station with caution as drivers were instructed to do, but its speed would form part of an investigation into the incident.

All the relevant information, including CCTV footage from the station, had been handed over to police, he said.

The National Rail Safety Regulator confirmed rail safety officers were conducting inquiries to confirm initial indications that all relevant operational safety processes and procedures were in place and adhered to.

Rail expert and director of Rail Safety Consulting Australia, Phillip Barker, described the incident as "a legacy issue across railway platforms" and noted it was not the first time this sort of incident had occurred in Australia.

"They slope towards the track to aid water drainage away from the station building," he told AAP. "Later designs generally have improved drainage which allows a reverse slope away from the track."

University of Sydney transport professor David Levison said platform screen doors, such as those used by Sydney Metro, could prevent these types of incidents. However, such technology is not only expensive but difficult to implement.

"Sydney Trains technology is not automated and getting cars to align with the screen doors could be tricky as not all trains have doors located at the same place," Prof Levison told AAP.

"The fleet would need to be fixed for a given line, reducing flexibility and [it is] difficult to do because many platforms are curved."

NSW Premier Chris Minns said he would not immediately commit to any measures, such as the installation of glass barricades used on metro stations, until he knew how they could be implemented.

"We will take steps that we need to take to keep people safe," he said.

"Unfortunately, public transport, particularly train stations, can be dangerous and it's incumbent upon everybody to be as safe as possible."

NSW Police Superintendent Paul Dunstan said Anand's actions were an "incredibly brave and heroic act", after their pram rolled in front of the train.

Premier Chris Minns added, "It shouldn’t go unremarked upon that in the face of a terrible accident he gave his own life to try to save his children."

However, that might not be enough to keep his family here. 

According to a report by Daily Mail Australia, Poonam and her daughter may face deportation because they came to Australia as dependents on Anand's skilled worker visa.

Anand relocated from India to Australia with his family in October 2023 after landing a job at IT firm, Infosys. However, as he mentioned in a Facebook post just five weeks prior, his visa was due to expire on August 1.

"My visa is going to expire on Aug 1 2024, where as my passport has [an] expiry date of Feb 2025," he wrote.

"As per my employer, I need to have at least 12 months expiry date from today on my PP to extend my visa."

Poonam's future in Australia is now uncertain, adding to the grief she is already experiencing from her immense loss.  

The Department of Home Affairs is yet to comment. 

— via AAP.

Feature Image: Supplied.