For several survivors of the Odisha train accident, who arrived in Chennai on Sunday (June 4) on a special train, the trauma they experienced was more than shock and disbelief. The collision occurred around 7 pm on Friday (June 2) near the Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore, involving the Bengaluru-Howrah Superfast Express and the Shalimar-Chennai Central Coromandel Express, both of which were carrying approximately 2,500 passengers. The accident killed at least 288 people and injured over 1,100 more.
'Dreadful Scene: White Bedsheets Turned Red, Bodies Scattered All-Over'
A woman from Kerala said she had only seen accidents on television and was terrified when she witnessed one herself. "The bed sheets given to passengers were used to carry the injured, and they turned red with blood; a dreadful scene," she told the news agency PTI. She recalled seeing the general compartment being overcrowded far beyond its capacity.
Weary from the tragedy and the long journey, a man described seeing blood, severed limbs, and the bodies of men and women scattered as tormenting, PTI reported.
'It All Happened Before I Could Realise'
Another injured passenger stated, "I was sleeping in compartment S-1. I heard a bang and almost fainted before I realised what had happened after something like a rod hit the side of my rib cage," PTI quoted him as saying. Healthcare workers wheeled him to the Rajiv Gandhi Government Medical College Hospital in a wheelchair.
Kanagaraj, an Army officer from Salem in Tamil Nadu who was on the Chennai-bound train for vacation, said bogies separated, some fell on the side, and others landed on other coaches as a result of the driver's sudden slamming of brakes.
According to PTI, he claimed that during the commotion, some people fell on his arm one after the other. He saved as many people as he could, especially children. He advised people not to rush to one side because the already tilted coach could fall on one side.
READ | 'Within Seconds Several Were Dead, Cries For Help Everywhere': Odisha Train Accident Survivor
'It Was Pitch Black, People Crying For Help Could Be Heard'
The 137 passengers from the Odisha train accident who arrived here by special train from Bhadrak appeared exhausted, and the gruesome accident added to their anguish.
Murugan stated that he and others felt the bogey slanting rapidly and falling on one side, and that many people were severely injured. "It was pitch black, people's cries could be heard, and many lay dead," he told PTI, recalling terrifying moments.
Pranav Vignesh stated that he was on the upper side berth. "Several people sustained severe injuries, and broken window glass pieces pierced the backs of people," he was quoted by PTI, adding that they managed to escape through the window.