Derailment of the Delhi-Kamakhya North East Express near the Raghunathpur station in Bihar's Buxar district on Wednesday night, which killed four people, resulted in a horrifying scene with several coaches strewn across the track. Several passengers recalled the terrifying incident, one of whom was Vijay Kumar, the train guard, who fell unconscious by the impact of the derailment. He said that he was busy with paperwork when he realised that the train driver had applied brakes suddenly.
"I was busy with my paperwork when I realised that the driver suddenly applied brakes. This was followed by a few jerks and I fainted. Later, I found myself in the adjoining fields, where villagers were sprinkling drops of water on my face," said Kumar, who sustained minor injuries.
Mahendra Yadav, a 64 years old resident of Madhepura district, who was travelling in an AC 3-tier coach, narrated his ordeal and said that it would be an experience he may never forget.
"It was an experience I may never forget. Suddenly, all of us started getting tossed off our berths by a force that none of us could fathom", Yadav said. He did express his gratitude to the locals who had rushed to the spot and pulled out most of the passengers from the toppled compartments by the time the railway and other administrative officials reached with assistance.
In an adjoining coach, Mohd Nasir and Abu Zahid, both residents of Kishanganj district, were fast asleep, perhaps enjoying pleasant dreams of a vacation at home, away from the hustle and bustle of Delhi. However, only one of them survived.
Mohd Nasir told PTI, "We had boarded the train on Wednesday morning. It was a tiring journey and after having an early dinner, we went to sleep. The train would have reached Kishanganj early the next morning. Suddenly I felt a jolt and got thrown off my berth. It took a while before I could understand what had happened.” Though Nasir thanked his stars for making out alive, it was short-lived as he saw rescue personnel taking away the body of Abu Zahid, who is in his 20s, informing him that his friend was dead.
With the rescue of passengers complete, the focus is now on restoration. The entire area has been cordoned off as villagers watch gigantic cranes and machinery used for cutting through metal at work. They feel that given the scale of devastation, it may be several days before the tracks are again fit for traffic. Railways, though, insist that it will not take that long.
Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday announced an ex gratia of Rs 4 lakh each to the families of the people who died. The Railway Ministry has also announced ex gratia of Rs 10 lakh to the families of the deceased, Rs 2.5 lakh in case of grievous injuries and Rs 50,00 in case of minor injuries, Sabyasachi De, CPRO told ANI.