It was a train journey that these passengers would certainly want to forget but the memories of them getting trapped inside the ill-fated Kalka Mail and others screaming for help would linger on through their life-time.
Some 167 passengers, who survived the derailment of the Delhi-bound express train yesterday, arrived here today with horror tales to narrate to their relatives and media persons who were waiting for them at the Delhi railway station here. They came here by a special train from Uttar Pradesh.
Terrified and shocked, the passengers thanked god and recounted the memories of yesterday’s accident which killed over 50 people and injured 150 others.
“I am thankful to God for keeping me alive today. If I am talking today, it is only because of him,” was all Dilip, an injured passenger, could say after his arrival here.
Dilip along with Badal, Sanjay and Susan were travelling in the general compartment of the Delhi-bound train. His head banged against the window of the coach due to the sudden impact of the accident near Malwa station in Uttar Pradesh.
“I could not realise what happened at first but after a few minutes we realised the gravity of the situation,” Badal who also received minor injury said.
“We wriggled to safety through the windows as there was no other way to escape. It was a miraculous escape because we saw dead bodies all around,” Badal said.
Trina Majumdar had a different story to tell. She was hoping to reach Delhi yesterday to take admission in M.Sc (Chemistry) in Delhi University, but lost her baggage in the accident.
“The bag had all my certificates and other documents needed for my admission,” she said.
Injured in her right leg, Trina said it took over three hours for rescuers to reach the accident spot. “We did not even have water to drink.”
Another passenger Rajat said it would take sometime for him to come to terms with life as he saw dead bodies lying all over the train.
“There were dead bodies in the coach and some bodies were in a very bad shape. I can’t explain it in words...,” he said.
An anxious Geeta along with her son was waiting for the special train so that she can receive her husband B.R. Chawla.
“I take this train regularly but this is the first time it met with an accident,” Chawla said as he had an emotional reunion with his family.
“I came out of the emergency window of the S-3 coach after 15 minutes of the accident and since then I am yet to recover from the ghastly scenes witnessed at the accident site,” he said.
Another injured passenger Hasim said: “I also lost a bag in the melee. There was no time to look for the bag as our prime concern was to come out of the coach safely.”
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