Child almost falls from moving train due to missing toilet floor
The boy's mother was able to catch her son before he fell onto the tracks
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.An investigation has been launched after a small boy almost fell from a moving train because the toilet floor was missing.
It had reportedly been removed to repair the brakes on the carriage but had not been replaced on the South Devon Railway (SDR) train.
The boy's mother was able to catch her son before he fell onto the tracks.
The steam train was moving at approximately 20mph and the boy, whose name and age have not been disclosed, suffered minor bruising, according to the BBC.
His mother reported the incident to members of staff on the train and the door to the toilet was subsequently locked.
Staff had placed a notice on the compartment door and attempted to secure it to prevent it being opened, but "this had not been effective", the Rail Accident Investigation Branch said.
The investigation will now examine the events leading up to the incident and the railway's safety management system.
"On the day in question, something clearly went wrong with our safety control and hazard monitoring systems as evidenced by the incident having taken place - it simply should not have happened," SDR said in a statement.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments