Bhopal: Nearly 45 railway employees on the
intervening nights of December 2-3, 1984 preferred to stay
back for their duties without caring for their own lives, and
in the process saved thousands of lives.
As the deadly Methyl Iso-Cyanate (MIC) enveloped the
city killing large number of people, the 45 railway employees
led by the then Station Manager, Harish Dhurve instead of
running away from the station to save their lives chose to
stay back and stopped all the south and north bound trains,
supposed to pass through Bhopal, at Vidisha, Itarsi and other
stations.
On the occasion of 25th anniversary of the gas tragedy,
Railways paid them rich tributes at the memorial created on
the platform number one on the main Bhopal Railway Station in
the old city area.
Additional Divisional Railway Manager MP Singh told,
"We paid floral tributes to all those employees, who laid down
their lives for the cause."
Had these employees not risked their lives, it could have
been fatal for thousands of railway passengers who were
travelling at that time and were supposed to pass through
Bhopal. They were successful in their mission, but it was too
late for themselves and their bodies were found on their
respective desks, a senior railway employee said.
The main railway line was barely a kilometre away from
the Carbide factory from where the gas leaked.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, December 03, 2009, 23:00