Bihar Train Accident
Late in the evening, as the clock approached 9:50 pm, Ramgobind (42) and Shyam Lal (48) were tending to their fields bordering Raghunathpur village. They were in the midst of watering their precious crops when a sudden, deafening bang echoed through the night, and the sky above them was illuminated with a cascade of sparks. Startled and fearful, their initial thought was that this might be a lightning strike. However, the absence of rain and the persistent sparks in the sky quickly dispelled that notion.
Their instincts kicked in, and without hesitation, they headed toward the source of the unsettling noise, leading them to the Raghunathpur railway station. What they encountered was a scene of chaos and devastation. Before them lay a mangled train, with its carriages overturned and electric wires hanging perilously.
“All we could hear were desperate screams, and it seemed like nearly the entire train had toppled. The electric wires crackled with so many sparks that they were visible from a distance. We were paralyzed with confusion, not knowing what to do next. In our desperation, we reached out to the Gram Raksha Dal, a village volunteer organization, which promptly arrived with whatever resources they could muster,” recounted Ramgobind.
Ramgobind and Shyam Lal found themselves among the first responders to a horrifying accident—a derailment of 23 carriages of the North East Express, a tragedy that claimed the lives of four individuals and left at least 30 more injured.
News of the disaster spread swiftly, rallying the local community to action. People from nearby villages rushed to the scene, armed with supplies and a willingness to help in any way possible. Some brought water, while others arrived with ladders, ropes, and torches.
“The official government rescue teams arrived about an hour and a half later. The darkness of the night added to the challenge. We did our best to assist passengers in escaping from the overturned carriages, some of which were nearly unrecognizable. There were children trapped inside, and the whole scene was one of utter bewilderment. Those who had escaped unscathed joined us in the collective effort to help others,” added Shyam Lal.
Dhiraj Kumar, the headmaster of an upgraded high school in Raghunathpur, reflected on the community’s response: “Villagers from Kaithi, Rajpur, Baswar, and Pokhraha all arrived at the scene, carrying injured passengers on their bikes and rushing them to a nearby community health center.” Remarkably, the local police, the district magistrate, and the superintendent of police also arrived within an hour of the accident, which occurred at 9:51 pm.
Within the confines of the train, Kartik Yadav from Satna in Madhya Pradesh recalled that most passengers were either dozing off or preparing to sleep, but there had been an eerie premonition of trouble. “The train had been experiencing jolts for about 10 to 15 minutes before coming to an abrupt halt. These jolts were so intense that many passengers were thrown from their berths. When it finally stopped, it became evident that something terrible had occurred. Many were trapped beneath their luggage, and the lights went out. The darkness was overwhelming, and fear was palpable,” he described.
Another passenger who managed to escape unharmed shared their experience, “Inside the carriages, everything was in disarray—shoes, toys, food items, cold drinks—all scattered. As the train jerked and swayed, panic set in, and people frantically attempted to make their way out. The fear of what might happen next, perhaps a fire, added to the chaos and dread.”
