Kolkata, May 29: Those who survived Friday’s Gyaneshwari Express mishap were in a state of shock.
While most could not believe they had escaped death, superstitious ones claimed they had received signals that the accident would take place.
Asit B Roy, who is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Kharagpur for multiple severe injuries, said he should have cancelled the journey after his mind started sending out the wrong signals.
“I do not know why I felt something terrible was going to happen even before I boarded the train. But I never imagined the disaster would be of such magnitude,” he said.
Having lost her only child in the mishap, 30-year-old Juhi Sandhu Khan was speechless. “I still cannot believe my child is no more in this world. I was fast asleep. A terrible sound woke me up and I tried to locate my child. Within minutes, I discovered my only kid was lying dead,” Juhi said as she cursed god for keeping her alive.
S Haldar, who escaped with minor injuries, was livid. “Who have they [Maoists] killed, innocent civilians? They should be hanged in public. And those who are playing the political blame game should immediately stop it,” he said.
Ranu Ray, 25, was so happy to board the Gyaneshwari for Mumbai on Thursday evening with her relatives to attend a cousin’s wedding.
“We were all so happy. We were gossiping till late. We were in a different world, thinking of the good times we would have at the marriage. But a horrible sound brought us back to reality. Everything was dark, the only thing audible were the dying laments of fellow passengers,” she said.
—-Agencies