West Bengal: Gaisal survivor recounts 24 years horror after Odisha train accident

A Gaisal train accident survivor in West Bengal recounted the 24-year-old horror after the Odisha train accident. The picture of that terrible accident of Gaisal flashed in front of his eyes, he said.

Siliguri: Even after 24 years, the horror of a train accident in Gaisal has not been erased from the memory of many. The accident in Balasore in Odisha reminded them of the terrible accident of Gaisal in 1999. The dismembered bodies covered with manure, the cries of the passengers stuck inside the train, begging to save their lives, the cries of the injured, anxiety of the families are all that seemed to have rekindled the tragedy. Pintu Roy remembered everything vividly.

Pintu Roy, a resident of Milanpally in Siliguri. He is the convener of Siliguri Volunteer Blood Donors Association. Roy was reminded of the Gaisal train accident on August 1, 1999, when he saw the news of the Balasore accident. The picture of that terrible situation flashed in front of his eyes.

At that time, as soon as he received the news of the accident, he ran with his friend to rescue people. The witness felt that hellish pain. Corpses were lying all around with relatives crying inconsolably. And it was that picture that came to his mind after seeing the news of the Balasore accident. Twenty-four years later, that terrible picture came alive.

"Same scene. What happened in Gaisal is the same. Here again three trains together. It is not possible to express the horror of that incident in words. A train went over another train. The upper compartment caught fire. Many were burnt to death," Roy recalled the accident in a choking voice.

At the same time, he informed that many people may have managed to get off the train with their lives as the Balasore accident happened in the evening. But the Ghaisal incident took place in the middle of the night. As a result, the rescue operation took a lot of time. Hence, the number of deaths increased.

It may be noted that the toll in the Ghaisal accident was 280. The death toll in the Balasore accident is 288 as the last reports came in. At the same time, he narrated how he started the rescue work by gathering gas cutters from the village. Roy said that the severity of the accident in Balasore is nothing less than Gaisal. He demanded that the railways be more aware and ensure the safety of the passengers.