Two teenage girls in New York City, Zemfira Mukhtarov and Ebba Morina, 12 and 13, respectively, died in a tragic subway surfing incident.
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As reported by the New York Post, the incident occurred at around 3:10 a.m. on Saturday, October 4. At the Marcy Avenue subway station in Williamsburg, Zemfira and Ebba were found unresponsive on top of a J train. Then, first responders pronounced them dead.
Police said that both teenage girls were among a group of 15 teens who were running around inside the train. According to Fox 5, investigators believe that Zemfira and Ebba had sneaked out of their homes on late Friday.
Zemfira’s 11-year-old sister, Maryam Mukhtarov, told ABC7 that she found out that her sister had died by watching the news. Maryam and Zemfira had spent the previous night together, and the grieving sister called the 12-year-old her best friend.
Heartbreakingly, Maryam then recognized her sister’s skateboard and Coach bag, telling her mother that Zemfira was on the TV.
“She was supposed to be asleep in her room,” Nataliya Rudenko, Zemfira’s mother, told Fox 5. “Now we’re planning her funeral.”
A Fatal Trend
The fatal trend of subway surfing, as per The Post, has claimed the lives of five people in 2025. In comparison, six people were killed by the trend in 2024, while five others died in 2023. While denouncing the practice, NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow issued a statement.
“It’s heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game,” Crichlow said in a statement. “Parents, teachers, and friends need to be clear with loved ones: Getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’ — it’s suicide.”
A GoFundMe was launched to help support the family of Zemfira Mukhtarov, who is struggling with her loss. Furthermore, the fundraiser detailed that she was just two weeks from turning 13.
“No parent should ever have to face the pain of losing a child, and no child should lose their life in such a tragic way,” the fundraiser read. “We are struggling to process this immense grief, and we are turning to our community for help to give Zemfira the respectful and loving farewell she deserves.”