UPDATED: A homeless man has died after he was hit by a freight train in Tasmania’s north this morning.
Police say the 36-year-old man, who was trespassing, had climbed over fencing to enter the restricted area of the Burnie rail yard when the fatal accident occurred around 4:55am.
According to Detective-Inspector Steve Jones, the man was hit by a train that was being unloaded.
He said the driver of the train was not aware of the man’s presence and the man was found by a TasRail worker soon after the incident.
Emergency services were called to the scene shortly after where they found the man deceased on the tracks.
Detective-Inspector Jones said the man had connections to Strahan and had been living in the Burnie area for about a week.
He said that the man had likely been secreting himself in the yard, but it was difficult to say whether he had been “hitching a ride” on the train.
The man was believed to have had a black suitcase with him and police are asking for anyone with information about its whereabouts to come forward.
The driver of the train has been given support and the man’s family has been notified of his death.
While the incident is not being treated as suspicious or as a suicide, police are urging anyone with information to contact them on 131444.
If you or anyone you know needs help:
- Lifeline on 13 11 14
- Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800
- MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978
- Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467
- Beyond Blue on 1300 224 636 or its COVID-19 support service 1800 512 348
- Headspace on 1800 650 890
- ReachOut at au.reachout.com
- Care Leavers Australasia Network (CLAN) on 1800 008 774
- Brother to Brother on 1800 435 799
EARLIER: Police have launched an investigation after a person was found with serious injuries on a railway track in Burnie this morning.
The track is currently closed near Marine Terrace and is expected to remain closed for several hours.
The person’s age and gender is unknown at this time.
