Odisha train tragedy: Survivor from Berhampur narrates harrowing experience, thanks God for second lease of life

The horrifying train accident at Bahanaga Bazar station in Balasore district on Friday evening that left over 270 dead and at least 900 injured was a nightmare coming true and those who survived could not think of it less than magic. A family in Berhampur which survived the horrific triple train tragedy and returned to their home believe that they got a second lease of life.

Jyotirmaya from Berhampur was returning home after spending holidays along with his family members in the ill-fated Coromandel Express when they met the horrific accident at Bahanaga. After reaching home, Jyotirmaya shared his first hand harrowing experience about the accident and thanked God for surviving along with his family members.

“I was in B6 coach which was at least 15 coaches away from the engine. I felt a mighty jerk with a thud at the time of accident and there was huge vibration in our coach. Passengers and goods from different berths fell down and the light went away immediately. 

There was suffocation in the coach. Subsequently, panic started among the passengers. People were screaming for water and help. Then I became aware about the horrific accident and became dumbfounded,” said Jyotirmaya.

“I frantically searched my wife and daughter amid darkness. Fortunately, I found them after sometime with the help of mobile phone torch light. With God’s grace, all my family members had survived. When we got off from the train, we were dumbfounded to watch the magnitude of the accident. Some bogeys of our train had mounted on a goods train and some other bogeys had turned turtle. People were screaming for help. Local people had climbed up the train to carry out rescue operations,” he added.