Network Rail branded 'irresponsible' following death of Ukrainian refugee in Dawlish

Network Rail has been branded 'irresponsible' following the death of a teenage refugee from Ukraine who was killed falling off a sea wall beside a railway track.

Albina Yevko, 14, died after falling four metres off the unprotected edge of the sea wall next to Dawlish railway line in March 2023.

More than 500 people have signed an online petition calling for safety measures.

Network Rail said a new risk assessment of the area is underway and 'all options' will be considered.

Albina suffered "catastrophic" injuries in the fall and was airlifted from the beach by Devon Air Ambulance.

Doctors spent six hours trying to resuscitate her, but could not save her.

Cllr Rosie Dawson (Lib Dem, Dawlish NE) knew Albina well and is calling for action to make the wall safer.

"The thought of someone else losing their life keeps us awake at night," she said. "Albina was just a child. How many more people need to lose their lives?"

She said Albina had moved to Devon with her mother after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and was settling in well.

"Albina was just gaining the confidence to go out for walks on her own and with friends. She loved the view and the sound of the waves. She and her mother found it idyllic," Cllr Dawson said.

A coroner said Albina died from "multiple injuries" sustained in the fall, but a full inquest has not yet been held.

Cllr Dawson has criticised Network Rail, which said it would be too expensive to create a safety railing along the sea wall.

"They said they felt sorry for Albina's mother. They said they couldn't share the risk assessment with us. They said despite their staff needing to be anchored to the wall while working on it, public safety wasn't a concern," she added.

Cllr Dawson said there have been numerous accidents over the years, including other incidents in which people have died falling from the wall.

She said the inquest into Albina's death has been delayed because Network Rail hasn't submitted its report yet.

In response, a Network Rail spokesperson said: "We were saddened to hear of the passing of Albina Yevko and we've met with the family to express our condolences and discuss their concerns relating to the sea wall.

"Now that we have completed the new sea wall at Dawlish, a new risk assessment is underway to understand if there have been any changes which would affect the level of risk in the area.

"All options will be considered as part of the new risk assessment."

Credit: Guy Henderson, LDRS