Odisha Train Tragedy: Survivors recount horrors of accident

Scenes of horror unleashed with heaps of bodies piled on one another inside the coaches. People were lying dead with gouged eyes, others screaming in pain because of their broken hands, legs and hips. The young as well as the old inside the couches were crying for help, climbing iron rods, parts of the bodies strewn everywhere-that is what summarizes the scene leading to trauma of the survivors and rescuers at the spot.

A rescuer, lawyer by profession, who reached the spot on Friday night along with some of the survivors recount the horror of the Odisha train tragedy to ET. Senior citizens, who survived the accident, still tremble in fear of the accident memories.

Ahmed Sheikh (32), resident of Palashi Dakshin Para in Nadia district, had a narrow escape. “I was in B-4 compartment. The accident took place at around 7PM and the whole bogey was covered with smoke. I was in the sleeper and fell unconscious due to the impact of the accident. I opened my eyes to find children and people crying in fear. Many were injured with fractures and injury in head,” Ahmed told ET.


He further added that he had to witness to piles of dead bodies in his next compartment, deformed bodies of those killed while others who were able to survive the accident came out with broken hands and legs.

“My hand is fractured and have a body ache. I am shaving my head as dust of broken glass was all over my head," said Ahmed. He said that he was accompanying his friend Dilwar Hossain and travelling to Kerala where they work as construction worker. Ahmed called it providence and grace of God that their lives were saved.

A rescuer, Samit Mandal, who is a lawyer by profession went to Balasore with 30 other people. “We saw iron from the railway tracks entering the bogeys. Some bodies were crumbled, reduced to pieces and it could not be identified as human bodies. Those who survived were in bad state, heads bleeding, skin almost turning scarred.”

“Some passengers said they could not understand initially what happened. They heard the blast-like sound. There was tremendous impact and the bogeys overturned. Many fell unconscious. When they gained consciousness, found their legs were broken, legs stuck inside the window and one person’s skin was completely scarred with injuries, turning dark red, almost got peeled off. We have brought some of the people to Kharagpur after basic treatment. Some are still getting treated as they could not be moved,” Mondal told ET

It was around 12.30 am when we had reached the spot. We went with a big team. Rescue work was going on at that time by NDRF and Odisha government. Many bodies were being recovered. We helped the NDRF to bring out the bodies. Initially the locals started the rescue work, ” the rescuer told ET.

Speaking to Et, Arunava Jana, a resident of Kharagpur, said his father, an elderly citizen, is still trembling in trauma and fear of the accident. “My father Amiya Jana (67), my mother-in-law and father in law Bishnupada Maiti were coming back from Cuttack after surgery of my mother-in law. All three elderly citizens were shaken to their core following the impact of the accident," said Jana. He added that his father received injury in his chest when the bogey crashed. They were travelling in SMVT-Howrah Superfast.

Bishnupada Maiti fractured his finger of his left foot. Police who rescued them had taken them to the hospital. They had almost lost consciousness and were unable to say anything. After gaining consciousness, they had given Arunava Jana's phone number. "I rushed to Balasore and brought them back after treatment,” said Jana.