14 October,2024 01:07 PM IST | Darbhanga, Bihar | mid-day online correspondent
Restoration work underway after Mysuru-Darbhanga Bagmati Express train collided with a stationary goods train on Friday, at Kavarapettai near Chennai, Saturday. (Pic/PTI)
A special train transporting passengers affected by the October 11 incident involving the Bagmati Superfast Express arrived safely in Darbhanga early Monday morning, reported news agency ANI.
On Friday, the Bagmati Express, which was travelling from Mysore to Darbhanga, collided with a freight train near the Kavaraipettai railway station in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu.
While several passengers were injured, there were no fatalities. Following the incident, a special train departed from the Chennai Central railway station early Saturday morning to carry the standard passengers, which has now reached Darbhanga in Bihar.
At Darbhanga station, many passengers shared their terrifying experiences and expressed gratitude to God for their survival. They also praised the support they received from the railway authorities, local administration, and community members during this challenging time.
Injured passenger Sunil Kumar recounted, "At the time of the accident, I was eating and resting. Suddenly, I felt a strong jolt and fell from my seat, losing consciousness. With the help of others, I managed to get outside. When I regained consciousness, blood was oozing from my head and feet. The medical team later attended to us."
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Sunil described the scene as terrifying, with one coach stacked atop another. He also reported losing all his belongings, including money and tickets.
Soni Devi, another passenger while returning from receiving medical treatment, told ANI, "We had ordered food and were waiting for it when the accident occurred. People in our coach were either waiting for their meals or chatting when a loud noise erupted, causing chaos inside. People started shouting that the train had overturned. Our coach derailed, but fortunately, we were unharmed. By God's grace, no one in our coach was injured, though other coaches had passengers with injuries."
Another passenger, Sitaraman Jha, remarked on their narrow escape, "We survived by God's grace. When we exited the coach, we saw no significant loss of life or property. The railway suffered damage, and passengers were injured. Inside the coach, there was panic as people couldn't understand what had happened. Injured passengers were admitted to a hospital in Chennai, while those who were safe were sent to Darbhanga by a special Bagmati train."
Following the incident, chaos ensued among passengers as senior officials from the railway, police, and fire department arrived to conduct rescue and relief operations.
Given the seriousness of the situation, railway authorities have initiated an investigation. While no fatalities were reported in the accident, a visible sense of fear lingered among travellers at Darbhanga station, stated ANI.
As of 10:15 am on Monday, 16 passengers had filed complaints regarding lost belongings.
Here's how the collision occurred. WATCH:
The incident occurred around 8:30 pm on the Chennai-Gudur section between Ponneri and Kavaraipettai railway stations and resulted in the derailment of 12 coaches of the passenger train.
Train movement across the section was disrupted, leading to the cancellation of two trains and diversion or operation of more than half a dozen others via alternate routes.
(With inputs from ANI)