US Vlogger Hospitalised After 15-Hour Indian Train Journey

American travel vlogger Nick Maddock, known for documenting his global adventures, has been hospitalised with a severe respiratory infection following a 15-hour sleeper-class train journey in India. The Missouri-based traveller, who has spent the last eight years exploring the world, fell seriously ill shortly after his experience on the Indian railway system.

Maddock shared a series of Instagram posts revealing his deteriorating condition, including a video of himself wearing an oxygen mask while being treated at a hospital. “I’m actually not sure if it was the 15-hour train or the one week of breathing in dead bodies in Varanasi, but either way these lungs are toast,” he captioned one post, suggesting both the train ride and the polluted environment contributed to his illness.

He later added that two individuals had recommended the train trip, though it ended up becoming a harrowing experience for the vlogger. In one of the videos, Maddock included a dramatic overlay that read: “He doesn’t know it yet but 72 hours from now, he will be in the hospital for a severe respiratory infection.” In another post, he simply wrote: “Never again.”

While many of his followers sympathised with his condition, his content also attracted backlash from some users who accused him of portraying India negatively for social media engagement. One Instagram user commented: “Only privileged white people can afford a flight to the other side of the world and just want to dive into the ‘poorest’ areas to discredit an entire country and get LIKES.”