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Help from Railways came late, passengers rue

HYDERABAD: Many passengers, accompanied by their children and family members, went through a harrowing time even after alighting from the fire-engulfed compartments and waited for help which was delayed.

Appanna, a native of Pathapatnam in Srikakulam district, who was with his wife and children after their summer vacation, said that as soon as they heard people shouting, they got down from the train and left their luggage behind. “Our luggage had some gold jewellery,” he said.

Hoping to retrieve their jewellery after the fire was doused, they waited at the mishap site till late afternoon. However, due to the heat and the fact that the coaches were shifted to Bibinagar, their wait went in vain. They said that the fire had taken away all their savings.

Meanwhile, other passengers lamented that help came long after the train came to a halt. Even after the train started with the unaffected coaches, there was no help. Some passengers rued that there was no sight of any railway staff or police for a long time.

“We could not even get water till we reached Secunderabad,” they said.

While some passengers from the affected coaches were accommodated in the unaffected coaches and sent to Secunderabad, several others were sent to Hyderabad by road.

( Source : Deccan Chronicle. )
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