The cover of The New York Post on Tuesday is one that comes with uproar and controversy. Pictured is a 58 year old man named Ki-Suk Han from Queens, struggling to climb out of a subway platform as a train approaches after someone pushed him off.
The LA Times reported that Han was killed at Manhattan's 49th Street subway station and the photo published today is a harrowing image of his last desperate seconds before the train hit and killed him. The photo taken by an unknown photographer makes it even more controversial, with the public wondering, why didn't anyone help him?
The Huffington Post reported that the photographer was a man naed Umar Abbasi who is a freelance photographer. The New York Post said that Abbasi noted he was running toward the train and "repeatedly firing off his flash to warn the operator." Abassi said to The Post, "I just started running, running, hoping that the driver could see my flash."
The person who pushed the man off the platform in front of the train is still be ing searched for by police. Widespread media is covering the story with many seeming disgusted by the use of the photograph and the photographer's choice to take a photo instead of helping the man. Reportedly the photographer said he was trying to alert the train driver by flashing his camera. Al Roker said according to the LA Times, "I'm sorry, somebody's on the tracks, that's not going to help. "Try to get them off the tracks."
Reportedly the Han and the person who pushed him off the tracks fought before the incident. The Huffington Post reported that a witness said Han was caught between the platform and the train and dragged.
Mayor Bloomberg said today, "It's one of those great tragedies, it's a blot on all of us. And if you could do anything to stop it, you would. But the good news is it happens phenomenally rarely."
A second year resident at Beth Israel Medical Center named Laura Kaplan was also on the platform and ran over and tried to adminster CPR after the incident. She said to The Post, " "It was terrifying, but you run on adrenaline. There was no pulse, never, no reflexes."
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