India train crash: Survivor recalls chilling moment when Coromandel Express jumped rails

He was part of a group of painters travelling from Kolkatta to Chennai

By ANI, AP

Published: Sat 3 Jun 2023, 12:39 PM

Last updated: Sat 3 Jun 2023, 3:30 PM

A passenger who was on board the Coromandel Express that was involved in the horrific 3-train crash in Odisha, India, relived the chilling moments from the derailment on Friday.

Speaking to ANI about the incident, the survivor said the passengers seated in the S5 coach of the Coromandel Express were not significantly impacted by the derailment.

He also added that he was part of a group of painters travelling from Kolkata and that they were en route to Chennai when several coaches of the express train jumped rails.

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"We were in the S5 bogie where the passengers mostly escaped with minor injuries. We are painters by profession and were on our way to Chennai," the survivor said.

Recalling the minutes leading up to the derailment of coaches, the survivor told ANI that the incident had occurred at 6.50pm on Friday, shortly after when they heard a loud noise from the collision of the express passenger train with a goods carriage.

He added that they had informed their families about the incident, assuring them of their safety. "We are heading home now and have informed our families that we are fine," the survivor told ANI.

Passenger Vandana Kaleda said that people were falling on each other as her coach shook violently and veered off the tracks.

“As I stepped out of the washroom, suddenly the train tilted. I lost my balance. ... Everything went topsy-turvy. People started falling on each other and I was shocked and could not understand what happened. My mind stopped working," she said.

Another survivor who did not give his name said he was sleeping when the impact woke him up. He said he saw other passengers with broken limbs and disfigured faces.

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