Survivors of Odisha triple train tragedy narrate ordeal, how locals helped

India on June 2 witnessed one of the most tragic train accidents in recent times, when three trains collided with each other after one of the trains derailed on the rail route in Balasore, Odisha at around 7 pm. At least 261 people have died and over 900 injured. Following the crash, rescuers were pushed into action. Large groups of National Disaster Response Force, along with others, gathered to rescue people from the mangled remains of the trains. A family of three who were traveling on one of the trains credited locals for rescuing them. The family survived the crash and returned to their home in Malubasan village in Mahisadal in Purba Medinipur of West Bengal. 

'Locals went out on a limb'

Subroto Pal, one of the survivors said, "We left for Chennai from Kharagpur station yesterday. After Balasore station, the train felt a jolt. Then we saw the compartment filling with smoke. I could not see anyone. The local people came to my aid & they pulled me out of the wreckage about 45 mins - 1 hour (after the accident occurred)."

Another survivor, who was helped by a local, said, "The local people really went out on a limb to help us... They not only helped in pulling out people but retrieved our luggage and got us water (Sic). " Rupam Banerjee, one of the passengers, told PTI.

Pijush Poddar, a resident of Berhampore in West Bengal's Murshidabad district, was travelling to Tamil Nadu in the Coromandel Express to join work there when the accident happened. "We got a jolt and suddenly saw the train bogie turn on one side. Many of us were thrown out of the compartment by the momentum of the derailment. When we managed to crawl out, we found bodies lying all around," he said.

Vaishnaw, Patnaik rush to spot

Railways Minister and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik visited the crash site on Saturday morning. The rescue and relief operations were carried out through the night and up until Saturday afternoon. Rescuers had to deploy gas cutters to extricate the bodies from under the derailed coaches. Disaster management personnel and firemen were busy at work trying to extricate bodies as dawn broke on this tiny way station on the east coast railway line.    

#WATCH | A family of three, who was travelling in one of the trains that were involved in #BalasoreTrainAccident, survived the accident & returned to their home in Malubasan village in Mahisadal, Purba Medinipur of West Bengal.

Subroto Pal, one of them, says, "We left for… pic.twitter.com/ZbYSVgRIwZ

— ANI (@ANI)

Long lines to donate blood

Following the accident, long lines formed outside hospitals with hundreds of people gathering to donate blood. Chief secretary of the Odisha government Pradeep Jena said 500 units of blood were collected overnight and nearly 900 units of blood were in stock. "I am personally indebted and grateful to all volunteers who've donated blood for a noble cause," Jena said. 

The railways announced an ex-gratia of Rs 10 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased. Rs 2 lakh for those grievously injured and Rs 50,000 for those who got minor injuries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too expressed his distress over the accident and announced an additional ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the next of kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 for the injured from the PM's National Relief Fund (PMNRF).

Moreover, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K.Stalin announced an ex-gratia ₹5 lakh to the families of those died in the horrific train mishap in Odisha’s Balasore district. He also declared ₹50,000 compensation for the injured people. The Chief Minister expressed shock and condoled the death of those who lost their lives in the accident.