Two young people were killed after being struck by a subway train in Manhattan early Sunday morning, in a tragedy that investigators are still trying to understand.
The victims were identified as 24-year-old Malaika Chitre and 24-year-old Navam Kaul, longtime friends from New Jersey and recent Rutgers University graduates. They were struck by a southbound No. 4 train at the Spring Street station at about 3:14 a.m. Sunday.
According to law enforcement sources, Kaul was on or had fallen onto the tracks, and Chitre went down after him in what appeared to be an attempt to help. The train operator reportedly saw Chitre trying to pull Kaul, but there was not enough time to stop the train.
Investigators are examining whether alcohol or other intoxication may have played a role. Sources told the New York Post that the pair may have been so disoriented that they did not fully understand the danger as the train approached. That remains an investigative theory and has not been confirmed.
Surveillance footage reportedly showed the two sitting on the tracks shortly before the train arrived. No suicide notes were found, although investigators have not completely ruled out suicide as a possible explanation.
The deaths have left friends and relatives mourning two young people who were only beginning their careers. Chitre had been working in quality operations at Acadia Pharmaceuticals while studying to become a doctor of pharmacy at Temple University. Kaul worked as a financial data analyst at Bloomberg.
The New York City Medical Examiner has not yet released the official causes of death. Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the tragedy as they work to determine exactly why the pair were on the tracks that morning.