Guwahati, Sep 25 (IANS): A 12-year-old boy in West Bengal’s Malda has defined bravery after he waved his red T-shirt to alert the loco pilot of the speeding Kanchanjunga Express to stop the passenger train from crossing a rain damaged portion on the track, officials said on Monday.

Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authorities on Monday rewarded the brave boy, Mursalin Seikh, with a certificate and cash award for his valour.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De said that Malda North Lok Sabha member Khagen Murmu along with Divisional Railway Manager of Katihar, Surendra Kumar, reached the boy’s home at Kariali (under Harischandrapur police station) to reward him and appreciate his effort.

NFR salutes the boy’s approach towards society, De said.

The CPRO said that maintenance of the track and other works were going on at Bhaluka road yard on September 21.

At one location where soil and the pebbles were washed away by the heavy rain, Mursalin, the son of a migrant labourer from a nearby village, was also present with the railway staff, De said.

On noticing a rain damaged portion under the tracks, the boy acted sensibly and alerted the loco pilot of the approaching Silchar (Assam) bound passenger train by waving his red T-shirt while the other on duty railway staff followed him.

The West Bengal government has also decided to reward the boy with Malda Zilla Parishad member Balikul Islam announcing to bear the cost of his education.

The NFR, one among the 17 railway zones in India, operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.