Relatives of passengers travelling on the Up Doon Express rushed to Howrah station on Thursday on getting the news of the accident. But the help desk set up by the railways could offer little information, leaving them confused and angry. While some managed to contact their relatives over the phone, most were clueless about the fate of their near and dear ones.
As the news of the Up Doon Express accident reached them, relatives of passengers on board the train rushed to Howrah station. While few lucky ones had come there after they contacted their relatives over the phone, many were clueless about the fate of their relatives. There was anger, anxiety and confusion as the helpdesk opened at the station by the Railways too could offer them little information.
Howrah resident Dinesh Mukherjee broke down at the helpdesk, unable to get any information about his father Basudeb, 69, mother Juthika, 55, and brother Subrata, 27. Mukherjee tried to get in touch with his family members, but when their numbers were unreachable, he went to the station. Mukhejee started calling them up randomly right after hearing about the accident only to find their numbers unreachable each time. Desperation drove him to Howrah station from his Bhawanipore office in the hope of getting some information.
"I had spoken to my father around 8am. He said that everything was fine and was excited about the trip. I have been trying to call them for a few hours now but none of the numbers they are carrying is reachable. With the help desk here having no information on them, I feel all the more helpless. I only wish all three of them are fine. I do not know why their numbers are not reachable," said Mukherjee managed to utter before breaking down.
His parents and younger brother, from Ramkrishna Pukur Lane in Shibpur, were travelling in S9 coach to Haridwar. headed for Haridwar and had occupied berth numbers 9, 11 and 12 in S9 coach.
The coach was among the six derailed ones. one of the six derailed ones.
The trio from Ramkrishna Pukur Lane in Shibpur had occupied berth numbers 9, 11 and 12 in S9 coach. This coach is one of the six derailed ones. Even as the helpdesk had the information about four casualties and 15 injured, there was no definite information on who the casualties were. This added to the woes of the relatives.
Though the help desk had information that four persons had died and 15 were injured, it had no information on who the casualties were, adding to the woes of the relatives.
Sheikh Javed and Mohammad Javed of Howrah's Bankra were frantically trying to locate their uncle Sheikh Azim and four minor cousins - Neha, 10, Chhoti, 12, Salma, 16 and S Ladri, 8. Azim was on the ill-fated train and going to Dehradun to drop off the children who had come to Bankra for their summer vacation.
had their uncle Sheikh Azim and four minor cousins travelling on the ill fated train. Azim was on way to Dehradun to drop his nieces Neha (10), Chhoti (12), Salma (16) and nephew S Ladri (8). The siblings had come to spend their summer vacation at their uncle's place in Bankra.
"We had been trying to contact them since we heard about the accident. Luckily Salma picked up the phone. But she sounded nervous and incoherent and said that uncle Azim was injured and in no position to speak. We are really worried and fear for the worst," said Mohammad Javed.
For Sanjeev Rai, a resident of Bhopal, the joy of his daughter bagging a job, had turned into a nightmare. On Monday, Rai had come to the city with daughter Pamela, 24, after she got a job with an IT company in Salt Lake Sector V. He also saw Pamela off at the station when she, along with a team from the organization, left for Dehradun to attend a training programme. Rai was supposed to leave for Bhopal on Thursday night, but instead headed for Jaunpur by the relief train to meet his daughter.
Bhopal resident Sanjeev Rai had arrived in the city only on Monday with daughter Pamela as the 24-year-old had bagged a job in an IT company in Salt Lake sector V. Pamela joined work on Monday. Rai even saw off Pamela on Wednesday night at the station when she along with a team from the organisation left for Deheradun to attend a training programme. Rai was to leave for Bhopal on Thursday night itself. But now he would head for Jaunpur instead by the relief train.
"I am a little relieved after I spoke to my daughter. She said a sudden jolt threw her off the seat, injuring her in the head and leg. Now I will have to spend an agonising night before I can see her for myself," said Rai. The railways has arranged to take relatives of the passengers to Jaunpur by adding more bogies to the Doon Express for Thursday night. More anxious relatives rushed in to avail of the facility.
Railway minister Mukul Roy left for the accident spot on Thursday evening by Rajdhani Express.
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