A father’s grit & a son’s wait: A rather happy reunion for injured youth initially presumed dead

The Friday night was gloomy and dark. In fact, it was one the darkest nights in the history of Indian Railways when the ghastly train mishap at Bahanaga in Balasore took over 275 precious lives. The overturned rail coaches turned into a mangled heap of metal and the bodies were strewn all over the railway tracks.

Locals and administration rushed to the spot to rescue the injured. Relatives of those on the train search for their near and dear ones. Amid these difficult times, a father from West Bengal came to Odisha in search of his son who had sustained injuries in the accident. And, later, he had a happy reunion with his son undergoing treatment in a hospital.

Speaking to OTV over phone, the father, Helaram Malik said, "After the accident occurred at 6.55 pm, my son called me up at 7.30 pm. At that time, I was returning home from work. He could not speak clearly but told me that the train had met with an accident at Balasore. He said he suffered severe injuries and his leg might have been broken. I inquired where he was. Before he could tell anything, he fell unconscious on the spot."

"The local people presumed him dead and piled up 8-10 bodies upon him. When he regained sense, he found him beneath the pile of bodies and made a slight movement with his left hand as he suffered grievous injuries to his right hand. His body movements came to the notice of some rescuers who rushed him to the hospital," Malik said.

As reports were earlier there that Malik found his son in a morgue, he said, "From the hospital, my son contacted me over the phone. We found him in the hospital, not in the morgue."

In an official release, the Medical Superintendent of Fakir Mohan Medical College and Hospital, said when he personally contacted Halaram Malik, he confirmed that his son was first carried by Ambulance to Basudevpur CHC and then referred to Bhadrak DHH on the day of the occurrence.

"On 3rd June morning, his son contacted him telephonically and intimated that he is being treated at Bhadrak DM and referred to SCB Cuttack. But he himself carried him to SSKM Hospital," the Superintendent stated.

Meanwhile, Malik informed that his son is now under treatment at SSKM Hospital in Kolkata and his condition is stable.