GG News Bureau
Gonda, 19th July. The Railway authority has arranged a special train to transport the passengers of the Dibrugarh Express to their destinations following a derailment that affected 600 passengers. An official statement released on Thursday confirmed that the special train departed for Assam.
The statement from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) specified that the special train would have the same stoppages as the original train, which met with an accident. Three passengers were killed and thirty injured when eight coaches of the train derailed near Gonda. The rescue operation at the derailment site has been completed.
“The special train with 600 passengers of the derailment-affected train (15904 Chandigarh – Dibrugarh Express) left from Mankapur at 20:50 hr for Dibrugarh. Earlier, they were brought by bus to Mankapur and were served tea, water, etc.,” the statement read.
Ambulances and medical teams were dispatched to the site between Motiganj and Jhilahi railway stations, approximately 150 km from the state capital, as news of the derailment emerged. The loco pilot reported hearing the “sound of a blast” before the derailment, an official told reporters.
“Prima facie, when teams reached the spot, people were laying scattered in bad shape, leading to confusion,” said an official. Uttar Pradesh Relief Commissioner G S Naveen confirmed the deaths of three passengers, identified as Saroj Kumar Singh (31) from Araria in Bihar, and Rahul (38) from Chandigarh.
Thirty injured passengers are being treated at two community health centers, and three are at the district hospital. Apart from Rahul, another passenger has been transferred to Lucknow.
Passengers in the Assam-bound train had started evacuating the toppled coaches even before relief teams arrived. Some returned to retrieve their luggage before sitting near the tracks, waiting for rescuers.
“For a moment, the coach was filled with dust, and it was all dark. I don’t remember what happened in the next few seconds. I only remember the cries and that a passenger pulled my hand and helped me get out of the window,” recalled Sandeep Kumar.
Dileep Singh, who was traveling to Chhapra in Bihar, was taking an afternoon nap on an upper berth when the accident occurred at about 2:35 pm. He was thrown onto the opposite berth during the impact.
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