Jagannath chanting, stunned silence as first passenger train passes Odisha accident site

Balasore: As the Vande Bharat Express successfully crossed the site of the triple train accident at Bahanaga Bazar on Monday morning, the first train to cross the disaster site during the day, passengers on board gasped at the magnitude of the devastation caused by the train derailment. Friday appeared before his eyes. As the train, which started from Howrah, slowed down as caution marks ran on the freshly repaired tracks, some murmured ‘Jagannath, Jagannath’, the name of the presiding deity of Puri, the train’s destination, but most people were stunned. Left to speak

Railway officials had on Sunday informed passengers through group SMS that the train would leave on time. The train left Howrah station at 6.10 am, but no one was sure which way it would run as the condition of the tracks that broke due to the accident, which claimed 275 lives, was unknown.

Passengers were heard discussing the route it might take, especially as the display board in the compartment showed that it was traveling at a speed of over 110 kmph. Most of the passengers were bound for Puri, a seaside pilgrimage town and a favorite destination for tourists in eastern India. However, after the train reached Kharagpur it was announced that the next station would be Baleshwar, with passengers rushing towards the large windows of the train at the ready with their mobile phones.

The speed of the train was still between 110 kmph to 122 kmph. The train reached Kantapara station a few km ahead of Bahnaga Bazar and halted for some time. “Just four minutes away,” said Bimal Saha, a young man, in a choked voice after checking Google Maps on his phone. As the train crawled, the speed now dropped to 20 to 25 kmph and all eyes were fixed on the scene outside. At around 9.25 a.m. when the train passed the first damaged coach lying next to the up track on which the Coromandel Express had traveled that night, not a single man or woman said anything.

Almost everyone had turned on mobile cameras. The damaged coaches lying next to the Up railway line presented a disastrous scene for the next 25 minutes. Railway officials have screened the area with green cloth but the eyes find bent and broken steel.

It was a strange sight as most of them were lying upside down one after the other, their heavy steel underbelly and wheels jutting into the sky. Almost everyone started gasping at the sight of the magnitude of the accident. Though every traveler had read about it in newspapers or seen the aftermath on their television sets, the real dimensions came to the fore as the vista unfolded.

The Coromandel Express collided with a stationary goods train at 7 pm on 2 June, derailing most of its coaches. Some coaches of the Coromandel fell on the last few coaches of the Bengaluru-Howrah Express, which was passing at the same time. in the opposite direction, turning it into a devastating triple train accident.

A large number of police personnel were present at the spot and members of the electronic media were visible in large numbers. Many of them were also seen taking shots of the Vande Bharat Express. There were also a large number of laborers, many of whom probably covered their noses to avoid the stench.

Some overturned coaches could also be seen next to the down track on which the Bengaluru-Howrah-Yesvantpur Express was traveling on Friday evening. There was no jolt as the train passed the spot at a slow speed. Kanika Chowdhary, 60, said, “Undoubtedly, the railway engineers have done a great job. But I wish our system was more advanced to prevent any collision.” “So many lives lost, so many families affected,” said Soumika, his daughter Soumika. Designer.

“It is very painful to see this, let alone away from the comfortable confines of Vande Bharat,” said Saha, who clung to the window long enough to catch a glimpse of the scene that was now haunting him. . No other train was seen on the spot. Just two to three trains were seen between Howrah and Kharagpur, one of which is the Bhadrak to Howrah Baghajatin Express.

As soon as the train reached Soro, the next station, it picked up speed. In Soro too, a large number of laborers were seen waiting with their bags. Probably to work at the crash site for the next few days. The speed on board now exceeded 100 kmph and the train continued its journey to its destination. The train reached Puri in 1.05 hours with a delay of 50 minutes. Other Puri-bound trains like Shri Jagannath Express, Sealdah-Puri Duronto Express and Howrah-Puri Express have been canceled for Monday.