'Second Life': Three Members Of Same Family Survive Odisha Train Accident

New Delhi:Three members of the same family survived the horrific train accident in Odisha's Balasore and returned to their home in West Bengal. Three members; Subroto Pal, Deboshree Pal and their child are the residents of Malubasan village in Mahisadal, Purba Medinipur in West Bengal. They were taking their son to Chennai to see the doctor before they met a horrific accident in Balasore. One of the survivors, Subroto Pal told ANI that he feels like being getting a new life after the incident. "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. It is like the god has given me second life," he said.

Deboshree Pal, another survivor said that the scenes she witnessed at the time of accident will never go off her mind.

"We were going to Chennai to see a doctor for our child. The accident happened at Balasore. We were not able to understand anything or find anyone. People were getting rammed over each other. We were not able to find our son. We don't know how we survived. It is like a second life for us. Till I remain alive, these scenes will never go off my mind," she said.

Meanwhile as per the officials, a total of 238 people were killed and over 900 injured in the train derailment in Odisha's Balasore. The three-way accident involved the Bengaluru-Howrah superfast express, the Coromandel Express and goods train on three separate tracks at Bahanaga Bazar Station, Balasore district.

According to a preliminary report released on Saturday by the State Emergency Operation Centre of Odisha's Special Relief Commissioner in Bhubaneswar the accident took place at around 7 am at Bahanaga Bazar Station in the Odisha's Balasore district.

17 coaches of these two trains have been de-railed and severely damaged, the report said. All injured and trapped passengers have been rescued, the report stated. Seven NDRF teams, 5 ODRAF units and 24 Fire Services and Emergency Units are engaged in rescue operations.

Over 100 medical teams with paramedical staff along with medicines have been mobilized to the accident site for medical treatment, the statement said. Over 200 ambulances were engaged in moving the injured to hospitals in Soro, Balasore, Bhadrak and Cuttack. 30 buses have been engaged for moving stranded passengers.

The Odisha government is providing free transport facilities for stranded passengers of Odisha and West Bengal to their destinations. Free medical treatments are being provided to injured persons at government and private hospitals in the State.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reached the site of the accident and reviewed the situation.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also visited the accident site today and took stock of the situation. On June 2 evening, he reviewed the situation with Chief Secretary, Development Commissioner, 5T Secretary, Secretary Transport and Secretary I &PR and other Senior Officers in in the office of Special Relief Commissioner, Rajiv Bhawan in Bhubaneswar.

Odisha Chief Secretary also discussed with Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, through virtual mode on the situation, according to the Office of the Special Relief Commissioner, Odisha. Odisha has declared a day of mourning for today. The South Eastern Railway has cancelled 33 trains and diverted 36 trains to other routes.