Nigerian Man Dies After Collapsing During Detention at Indian Railway Station

A Nigerian national has died after being detained and questioned by Railway Protection Force officials at Surat Railway Station in India.

The man, whose identity has not been publicly released, was travelling from Mumbai to Delhi aboard the Golden Temple Express when he was detained following an alleged altercation with other passengers.

According to Indian authorities, the incident occurred on August 17 after a passenger contacted the railway helpline to report that the Nigerian man and another passenger were allegedly fighting near one of the train's gates.

Police sources said the Nigerian allegedly sprayed a fire extinguisher at fellow passengers during the altercation while the train was travelling between Vapi and Surat.

He was subsequently detained at Surat Railway Station and taken to the Railway Protection Force office for questioning. It was there that he reportedly collapsed.

The man was rushed to the Surat Municipal Institute of Medical Education and Research Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Police Launch Investigation

The Government Railway Police has registered an accidental-death case and launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.

Western Railway Superintendent of Police Abhay Soni said preliminary investigations established that the deceased was a Nigerian national who lived in Vasai, Mumbai.

Soni said the man did not have identification documents with him when he was detained.

Authorities are now expected to obtain statements from the police officers involved in his detention and others who were present at the Railway Protection Force office.

A post-mortem examination was conducted on August 18, but authorities were still awaiting the full report to determine the exact cause of death.

Previous Police Arrests

Indian police also disclosed that the deceased had previously been arrested twice in Mumbai in connection with alleged cocaine trafficking cases in 2018.

Investigators are also examining why he was travelling to Delhi and the circumstances leading to the confrontation aboard the train.

The investigation remains ongoing as authorities await the post-mortem findings and statements from those involved.