Indonesian train track 'shock therapy'

Villagers in Indonesia have resorted to lying on train tracks to treat illnesses using electrical currents that run through the lines.

Poverty and desperation has led natives of the Rawa Buaya village, near Indonesian capital Jakarta, to flock to train tracks in the belief that electrical streams will cure their ailments. Many believe an urban myth in the area that a paralysed Chinese man was cured on a train line while trying to commit suicide.

It is thought that this railway therapy can increase the vitality of the body and help cure diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, rheumatism, gout, obesity and high cholesterol.

[See gallery: Indonesian train track 'shock therapy']

Groups of people gather daily at the tracks near the village, although numbers have dwindled since a sign was erected by police warning that lying on train line can result in three months in jail or a fine of £1,100. Many still return for ‘shock therapy’ as they cannot afford medical treatment or pharmaceuticals locally.

Villagers visibly shake as the current flows through their bodies, with little or no evidence suggesting that it is medically beneficial. No-one has died from the practice, although those taking part risk their lives on the busy rail line every day.