Background of the Incident

In the early hours of October 4, 2025, a heartbreaking incident occurred in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood, claiming the lives of two young girls in what authorities believe was a subway surfing accident. Zemfira Mukhtarov, a 12-year-old from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and Ebba Morina, a 13-year-old from Manhattan, were found unresponsive on the roof of a Brooklyn-bound J train at the Marcy Avenue station around 3:10 a.m. Both were pronounced dead at the scene, contributing to the growing number of fatalities linked to this dangerous social media trend.

Zemfira, described by her family as a bright, kind-hearted girl full of life, had her 13th birthday just two weeks away. The girls reportedly met through social media and snuck out of their homes late Friday night for an "adventure." Witnesses saw a group of about 15 teens, including the victims, running around inside the train before the bodies were discovered on the roof. Police spoke to three teenage boys at the station and escorted two for further questioning, though no arrests were reported immediately.

Family's Account and Grief

Zemfira's mother, Nataliya Rudenko, learned of the tragedy while watching the news, recognizing her daughter's skateboard and Coach bag in the footage. Her father, Ruslan Mukhtarov, explained that Zemfira had snuck out after the family went to sleep, even though they had plans to bake brownies together. He emphasized her honesty and uniqueness, while her 11-year-old sister Maryam described Zemfira as her best friend and "everything" to her, urging other kids to avoid such risks.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to cover funeral costs, with Ruslan hoping her death serves as a warning to others. Maryam, speaking with her parents' permission, recalled the devastating moment of realization during breakfast. "She was always there for me. She was everything for me," Maryam said, noting that Zemfira had insisted she wouldn't engage in subway surfing, despite not discussing it much.

A vigil at the station featured candles, flowers, and a note memorializing "Zema" and "Ebba." Zemfira's funeral was scheduled for October 11, 2025.

Social Media's Role

Social media played a significant role in the lead-up to this tragedy. Videos from Zemfira's TikTok account, posted in the weeks prior, showed her performing terrifying stunts, such as lying on train tracks to film the undercarriage and walking on beams as trains passed below. Ebba's account featured similar content, including climbing the Brooklyn Bridge and exploring empty subway stations.

These posts reflect a broader obsession with daredevil acts for online attention, despite parental warnings. Zemfira's parents had pleaded with her to stop, but the allure of social media validation proved strong.

Broader Implications

Subway surfing—riding on the tops, sides, or between cars of moving trains—has surged in popularity due to viral videos on platforms like TikTok and Instagram. This incident marks the fourth and fifth deaths from the trend in New York City for 2025, approaching the six fatalities in 2024 and five in 2023. Previous victims include 15-year-old Carlos Oliver, who fell from a 7 train in Queens on July 4, 2025, and 12-year-old Gustavo Guaman-Quizhpilema, critically injured in March 2025 on another 7 train before succumbing days later.

The NYPD has intensified efforts, using drones since November 2023 and recording 229 arrests for riding outside trains in 2024, up from 135 the previous year. Officials like NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow have called it "suicide" rather than a game, advocating for stronger parental and community involvement. The MTA's "Ride Inside, Stay Alive" campaign, launched in 2023, continues to warn teens of the dangers.

Community leaders, including State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Council Member Justin Brannan, have mourned Zemfira, an eighth-grader at J.H.S. 259 William McKinley, and stressed the need for conversations about social media's influence. Brannan noted, "We need to help them realize that the decision to try and do this could very well be fatal."

This event has reignited debates on platform responsibility, with past lawsuits against TikTok and Meta for recommending similar content. Efforts like the American Academy of Pediatrics' anti-subway surfing campaign aim to educate through community programs. While no single solution exists, combining parental monitoring, platform moderation, and public awareness could help prevent future tragedies, honoring Zemfira and Ebba's memories.

To contextualize the risks, here is a table summarizing recent subway surfing fatalities in New York City based on available data:

This table highlights the escalating trend, primarily affecting youth aged 11-15 from diverse communities.

In the early hours of October 4, 2025, tragedy struck in Brooklyn's Williamsburg neighborhood when two young girls lost their lives in a suspected subway surfing accident. Zemfira Mukhtarov, a 12-year-old from Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, and Ebba Morina, a 13-year-old from Manhattan, were found unconscious on the roof of a Brooklyn-bound J train at the Marcy Avenue-Broadway station around 3:10 a.m. Pronounced dead at the scene, their deaths underscore the perilous rise of social media-inspired stunts among teens.

Zemfira, whom her father Ruslan Mukhtarov remembered as "full of life" and "kind, bright-hearted," was just two weeks shy of her 13th birthday. Her family—including mother Nataliya Rudenko and younger sister Maryam, 11—is enduring profound grief. Ruslan shared on a GoFundMe page for funeral expenses: "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." He expressed hope that her story would warn others, highlighting the unexpected emotional and financial toll. Maryam, Zemfira's best friend and confidante, recounted the shattering moment when their mother spotted Zemfira's skateboard and Coach bag on the morning news during breakfast. "She was always there for me. She was everything for me," Maryam said, adding that Zemfira had downplayed any involvement in subway surfing.

The two girls, connected through social media, slipped out of their homes late Friday night in pursuit of an "adventure." Eyewitnesses described a group of about 15 teens, including the victims, causing a stir inside the train before the grim discovery atop it. Authorities interviewed three teenage boys at the station, taking two for additional questioning, but no immediate arrests followed.

Social media's influence loomed large in the events leading up to the incident. In the weeks before, Zemfira's TikTok videos captured her in harrowing acts: lying flat on train tracks to record the undercarriage of a passing train, accompanied by haunting music, and balancing on narrow beams as trains rushed beneath her at high speeds. Ebba's profile echoed this thrill-seeking, with clips of her scaling the Brooklyn Bridge, performing songs on subway platforms amid arriving trains, and venturing into deserted stations with friends. These activities point to a dangerous fixation on gaining online acclaim, overriding her parents' urgent pleas to cease.

Subway surfing, the act of clinging to the exterior of moving trains—whether on roofs, sides, or between cars—has exploded in appeal thanks to viral content on apps like TikTok and Instagram. This latest case brings New York City's 2025 tally to five deaths, nearing the six from 2024 and five from 2023. Among earlier victims were 15-year-old Carlos Oliver, who plummeted from a 7 train in Queens on July 4, 2025, and 12-year-old Gustavo Guaman-Quizhpilema, who suffered fatal injuries in a March 2025 incident on another 7 train.

Law enforcement has escalated its response, deploying drones since November 2023 and logging 229 arrests in 2024 for external train riding—a sharp rise from 135 the year before. NYC Transit President Demetrius Crichlow minced no words: "It's heartbreaking that two young girls are gone because they somehow thought riding outside a subway train was an acceptable game. Parents, teachers, and friends need to be clear: Getting on top of a subway car isn’t ‘surfing’—it’s suicide." The MTA's ongoing "Ride Inside, Stay Alive" initiative, started in 2023, seeks to drive home these lethal risks to young people.

Local figures have joined the chorus of mourning and calls for action. State Senator Andrew Gounardes and Council Member Justin Brannan paid tribute to Zemfira, an eighth-grader at J.H.S. 259 William McKinley, urging deeper discussions on social media's sway. Brannan emphasized, "We need to help them realize that the decision to try and do this could very well be fatal."

A community vigil at the station brought candles, flowers, and heartfelt notes for "Zema" and "Ebba," fostering a space for collective sorrow. As Zemfira's funeral approached on October 11, 2025, the incident has fueled renewed scrutiny of social media giants, with prior legal actions against TikTok and Meta for pushing hazardous content via algorithms.

In coping with the loss, Maryam turned to a spirit box, interpreting messages from Zemfira as comforting: "Don't miss me, don't cry... I'll come back soon." Such personal stories humanize the statistics, reminding us of the irreplaceable lives behind them.

Broader efforts to curb this trend include community-based programs like the American Academy of Pediatrics' anti-subway surfing campaign, which promotes education through pediatric outreach. The fatalities disproportionately impact preteens and early teens from varied backgrounds, amplifying the urgency for multifaceted solutions.

While challenges persist, integrating vigilant parenting, stricter content moderation on platforms, and widespread public education offers a path forward. By learning from Zemfira and Ebba's story, we can strive to safeguard other young lives from similar fates, transforming tragedy into meaningful change.