A 'train' of shock, disbelief and happiness

By Suresh Krishnamoorthy

HYDERABAD, JULY 19. The mood of the kith and kin at the site of the accident in which the Bhagyanagar Express ran over four gangmen working between Moula-Ali and Cherlapalli stations was one of despondency.

But it was a different scene at the Lallaguda Railway Hospital where the faces of friends and relatives of the two injured and two unscathed railway employees showed varied emotions -- that of happiness and disbelief.

While one of the injured, Pochaiah, was being operated upon, the other, Janaiah, who is said to have suffered multiple fractures on the right leg and the right arm was in shock. He was barely able to whisper when presspersons asked him how the accident occurred and only said, "Naakemi teleedu (I do not recall anything)."

Sattaiah and Sayulu escaped unhurt and were seen sitting outside the hospital, trying to respond to the umpteen number of queries of relatives and colleagues of the injured persons as to how it all happened.

Though dumbstruck, Sayulu threw himself out of the way of the approaching train. "I saw Sattaiah on the ground, unconscious and after a moment started running towards the Cheralpalli station to report the matter", he said.

"I swooned seeing my colleagues being mowed down by the train and got up only to see Sayulu running towards the station. It was only some time before I walked over to the other sides of the tracks to pick up a tie-bar. Though I feel thankful being alive, there are no words to describe the loss of my colleagues", Sattaiah said.

Of the four dead, Sukkaiah hailed from Ghatkesar and is survived by his wife Bujjamma, three daughters and a son. They watched helplessly, weeping as they saw the mortal remains of the head of their family virtually being bundled into a piece of cloth.

Friends tried in vain to control Ramanjanamma, wife of Mallaiah, and her two daughters and a son. The family hails from Rayagiri village near Bhongir. Bakkaiah belongs to Gangasanipalli village in Nalgonda district. The fourth person who died was identified as Bikshapathi from Pembarthy in Warangal district.

For most people, it was difficult to understand how a group of eight persons could fail to see the train bearing down on them, even if they were unable to hear it coming, on account of the goods train that was crossing the point on the adjacent tracks.

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Section  : Southern States
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