A food delivery executive for Swiggy had a miraculous escape from what could have been a fatal accident after falling from a moving train at Anantapur railway station in Andhra Pradesh. The harrowing incident, captured on video, occurred on January 7 and has since ignited a fierce online debate about the safety pressures faced by gig economy workers.
The Incident: A Desperate Exit Gone Wrong
The delivery agent was onboard the Prashanti Express (Train No. 18464), which had stopped at the station for a scheduled halt of barely two minutes. His task was to hand over a food order to a passenger travelling in a First AC coach. However, by the time the delivery was completed, the train had begun to depart from the platform.
A now-viral video, shared on Instagram by user Bijay Anand (@hey_bijay), shows the delivery partner attempting to hurriedly step down from the moving train. In his rush, he loses his balance and crashes violently onto the platform. The footage clearly indicates he fell hard, narrowly avoiding being pulled under the wheels or suffering more severe, potentially lethal, injuries.
Public Outcry and Company Response
The video, which has amassed over 1.6 million views, was shared with a caption calling it a "failure of safety and responsibility." Bijay Anand elaborated that the combination of an extremely short halt and multiple entry points to the First AC coach left the delivery agent with critically little time to exit safely. "He had other orders pending, his bike and delivery bag were outside the station, and the train had already started. In desperation, he tried to step down and fell badly. He could have died," Anand wrote, emphasizing that no delivery target is worth risking a life.
In response, Swiggy issued a statement in the comments section of the video, confirming the delivery partner was safe and did not sustain serious injuries. The company reiterated that its safety protocols strictly prohibit agents from boarding or alighting from moving trains. "We’ve looked into the incident and are relieved to confirm that the delivery partner is safe, unharmed, and did not face any penalty from authorities. Safety is our absolute priority," the statement read. Swiggy also added that it has strengthened safety training for its delivery partners to prevent such occurrences.
Broader Implications for Train Food Deliveries
The incident has sparked sharp reactions online, with many users questioning the practicality and safety of in-train food deliveries during brief station halts. Several social media commentators demanded clearer guidelines and systemic changes, suggesting alternatives such as:
- Mandatory collection of food by passengers at train doors or on the platform.
- For short-halt stations, handover of orders to authorized railway staff or attendants instead of delivery agents rushing inside coaches.
- Stricter enforcement of safety norms and better protection for gig workers who operate under intense time pressure.
Providing an update, Bijay Anand later stated that he had contacted the local MLA to check on the delivery executive's condition. He reported that while the agent sustained multiple injuries from the fall, he was in a stable condition. "I spoke to him personally. Despite his injuries, he was calm, polite and just focused on doing his job," Anand shared, highlighting the resilience of delivery personnel. The event underscores the urgent need to balance consumer convenience with the fundamental safety of the workers who make such services possible.
