Anxious kin of derailed train passengers crowd Howrah

KOLKATA - Hundreds of agitated and anxious relatives of passengers of the Gyaneshwari Express train that derailed early Friday, killing at least 71 people, crowded the Howrah station for information of their kin. They alleged railway officials were not cooperating with them and the helpline numbers were of no use.

“Since morning I am trying the helpline numbers. But whenever I call a helpline number, a recorded voice says please call the other number. We are fed up with this kind of harassment. We are really tense as we are yet to get any information about our uncle and his family who were on the train,” said a young man.

The Mumbai-bound passenger train derailed in Jhargram in West Bengal, after a part of the track was sabotaged, and was rammed by a goods train coming from the opposite direction. Over 200 people were also injured in the accident.

“Whenever we go to one help desk at the station, we are directed to another desk,” said another harried relative.

“Why are we being subjected to such nuisance? We don’t have any information whether our dear ones are alive or dead. The helpline numbers are not working properly,” said the person.

A tribal organisation, People’s Committee against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) which is considered a frontal organisation of the Maoists, has claimed responsibility for the sabotage.