In train tragedy, locals emerge as heroes

They started rescue work even before the administration or the police could respond, and many of them remained involved in rescue work even after the GRP, police and ITBP jawans arrived.

Within minutes of Friday’s train accident, residents of Bachhrawan town and surrounding villages reached the passengers trapped in the two coaches of the Varanasi-Dehradun Express.

They started rescue work even before the administration or the police could respond, and many of them remained involved in rescue work even after the GRP, police and ITBP jawans arrived.

“My leg was caught between two seats after the accident. Within 15 minutes, locals arrived. When they saw me trapped, one of them went to his house and brought a iron rod to make some space there. Finally, I managed to take my leg out and it was then that I realised it was fractured,” said Chandrapal, who was travelling in the general class bogie.

The trapped passengers, and many bodies, were removed after cutting the bogie from several places, in an operation that continued for nearly four hours. Meanwhile, those unable to contact their relatives started a frantic search.

Many of them remained in the crowd of nearly a thousand onlookers, trying to recognise the bodies of women, men and children being carried on blood stained stretchers by ITBP jawans.

A youth, Rajesh, who had come from Varanasi, was searching for four family members travelling from Haridwar. “Do you have the list of people injured and dead?” he asked people.

At KGMU trauma centre, where most of the injured passengers were brought, 27-year-old Dinesh Vishwakarma was lying with plasters on both legs. He had boarded the train from Lucknow to go to Rae Bareli for a teaching job, and was sitting in the general coach, which was worst hit.

“My bag, containing all my certificates and documents, is in the train. Has anyone found it?” Vishwakarma asked. His father-in-law, who was standing beside him, said: “Don’t worry about the papers. Thank god that you survived.”

Source:: Indian Express