Also See: Odisha Train Accident Live
Sahu, a medical representative, was travelling in the Bengaluru-Howrah Express from Berhampur near Gopalpur in coastal Odisha to his in-law’s place in Kharagpur when a compartment of the derailed Shalimar-Chennai Coromandel Express slammed into the rear of the train from Bengaluru, throwing it off the tracks. In those few seconds after the impact, the compartment in which Sahu was travelling seemed like a toy train coach as it was sent hurtling and crashed.
“I felt the impact of a large crash, followed by a series of bumps. Thereafter, for what seemed like an hour but could actually have been a few minutes, I found myself wedged between motionless bodies of passengers and the twisted steel of the train,” recounted Sahu.
Though panic set in initially, he soon calmed himself and slowly began to find a way out of the compartment, finding space to slide under and finally emerge from the mangled mess. “My left shoulder hurt badly and I felt pain all over. But I knew I had to keep trying and get out. And I did, with cuts and injuries all over, but luckily in one piece,” said Sahu.
Out in the open, he took a deep breath, assessed his injuries and the situation around and decided to try and travel onward to Kharagpur as the situation was rather grave at the accident site. Sahu took a bus to Balasore, around 25 km from the accident spot, and then travelled to Kharagpur.
Speaking to TOI from his in-laws’ house, Sahu said he was still in shock and fear. “Nearly all the passengers I was travelling with had died on the spot. I don’t know how I survived but am glad I did. I will never ever forget this fateful journey.”