Bravehearts rescue 88 passengers in Odisha train tragedy

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Deepak Ranjan Behara and Shubhankar Jena said, "When we got into the bogies, all the passengers were piled on top of each other. Many were trapped in the bottom and were crying out for help. We pulled everyone out. It was pitch black inside and was invisible. Some had already lost their lives and others remain motionless. Our team saved 88 lives. The entire village saved hundreds of people."

Bahanaga (Odisha): Deepak Ranjan Behara and Shubhankar Jena, two bravehearts from the Bahanaga of Odisha's Balasore district, who were the first to take part in the rescue operation in the train accident that took place on Friday, have shared their experience. Deepak Ranjan Behara, a retired soldier was playing with his friends on the field on Friday evening at Bahanaga. At around 6.45 pm he heard a noise like an earthquake and a group of eight people ran to the site. After realising the situation, they started the rescue operation without any delay.

Meanwhile, the entire village reached there and all started bringing out the people from the bogies. The injured were taken to hospitals. Before the government aid teams arrived, the locals did everything themselves until 9 pm. Even after that, they served the whole night. Speaking to ETV Bharat, the duo said, "When we got into the bogies, all the passengers were piled on top of each other. Many were trapped in the bottom and were crying out for rescue. We pulled everyone out. It was pitch black inside and was invisible. Some had already lost their lives and others remain motionless. Our team saved 88 lives. The entire village saved hundreds of people."

"The first hour after the accident is considered the golden hour. If the injured can be taken to the hospital and provided treatment, their lives can be saved. That's why we moved all the rescued people to the available vehicles. We took some on bicycles, others on two-wheelers and autos. Ambulances arrived an hour after the accident. In the meantime, many people were taken to the hospital by the locals in their vehicles. Due to this, the loss of life has been reduced to a large extent," they said.

"A pregnant woman was found stuck in the middle of the passengers in a bogie we went to. We managed to get her out, but her two children remained inside the bogie and the way she pleaded to get them out is still vivid in our eyes. The gruesome and deplorable scenes of those days are still haunting," they said. Meanwhile, many charitable organisations provided food and drinks to the participants in the relief work. Reliance Foundation provided fresh water, bananas and bread packets. Paradeep Port Trust in Odisha provided medical services.