MP train accident: Heavy rains hampered relief work

Relief and rescue operations at the train accident site in Madhya Pradesh were halted early on Wednesday evening due to continuing rain and poor visibility.

Updated on: Aug 5, 2015, 19:41:39 IST

Hindustan Times | By Neeraj Santoshi, Bhopal

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Relief and rescue operations at the train accident site in Madhya Pradesh were halted early on Wednesday evening due to continuing rain and poor visibility, officials said.

The accident took place at Kudwa, about 18km from the district headquarters Harda, which is between Bhirangi and Khirakia railway stations. (HT Photo)

At least 15 trains have been cancelled and 72 diverted following the accident, railway officials said adding that the track restoration might take three days to enable a smooth train movement.

Meanwhile, some survivors blamed the officials for a delayed rescue operation and said had they begun earlier, more lives could have been saved. However, officials maintained that rescue teams reached the spot as early as possible despite heavy rain and poor access to the site due to damaged roads.

Accident survivor Chandra Bhushan said, “Several people, who had held on to something amidst rising water in the train, could have been saved if the rescue operations had begun early. But, the first rescue team arrived at the site only at 2am.”

A district official, however, said that despite approach problems and difficult terrain, the rescue teams reached the spot and began the work by 1:30am. He, however, admitted that rescue operations picked up only after the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team arrived at around 2am.

Many train passengers have been feared swept away by the water current from the accident site. Additional director general of police (railways) Anuradha Shankar said divers had been asked to look for bodies and rescue the survivors with 1 kilometres stretch down the stream.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neeraj Santoshi
Neeraj Santoshi is the Chief of Bureau for Hindustan Times in Uttarakhand, where he leads the state reporting team while covering government, politics, environment, wildlife, Uttarakhand High Court, and issues shaping the Himalayan region. With more than two decades in journalism across conflict zones, he has covered politically sensitive regions and environmentally fragile landscapes, and focused on stories that combine public interest with in-depth storytelling. An alumnus of Pune University with a Master’s in Communication Studies, he has reported extensively from Jammu & Kashmir (2003-2010), Madhya Pradesh (2010 to 2018 ) and Uttarakhand (Since 2018), covering subjects ranging from insurgency, elections and governance to wildlife conservation, mining, climate change, agriculture, human rights and social justice. He has covered politics and legislative assemblies of both Jammu & Kashmir and Madhya Pradesh over more than a decade. Before taking over as Chief of Bureau in Uttarakhand, he served as Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in Madhya Pradesh and earlier reported for both Hindustan Times and The Indian Express in Jammu & Kashmir, where he covered state politics, environment and insurgency-related developments. Over the years, his stories have focused on environmental degradation, wildlife, illegal mining, governance and the changing social fabric of Himalayan states and Central India. He is particularly interested in long-form explanatory journalism, and stories that explore the intersection of ecology, conservation, governance and society. Outside the newsroom, Neeraj enjoys reading widely on neuroscience, consciousness studies, Artificial Intelligence and quantum physics, with a special interest in Kashmiri Tantric Shaivist traditions. He is also passionate about wildlife, mountaineering and the Himalayas, interests that continue to inform his reporting and deepen his understanding of the region he covers.Read More

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