‘I saw a dead child holding a doll; Rescue work team effort’: News18 talks to IG, SP who responded to the accident of 3 Odisha trains

On June 2, a triple train accident in Odisha’s Balasore district killed more than 270 people and injured more than 1,000. The Odisha government along with the administrations of some other states as well as the Center worked on a war footing to provide rescue and relief services. News18 spoke to Police Inspector General (Eastern Range) Himanshu Kumar Lal and Police Superintendent (Balasore) Sagarika Nath about their crucial roles in dealing with the aftermath of the devastating accident, the various steps taken by authorities, the many challenges and some unusual experiences.

“At 7 pm I received the news of a train derailment and also received a call from the DG. I spoke to the president of the local block and found out that it was a massive accident. At that time I spoke with the SP and obtained information about 7 deaths. I came to know that there was no phone signal in the area. I immediately called the CMO before arriving on site. The CMO responded quickly. They asked me how many casualties. I told you more than 150 dead and more than 1,000 wounded. I told them that we would need 400 ambulances and a large number of people. They told me that everything would move. The instruction was clear that we have to save lives, without thinking about money and logistics. Logistics and other support was provided within an hour. Senior officers were also rushed,” Lal said.

A platoon from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) was immediately transferred, he told News18. “We saw people crying and there were bodies everywhere. A green corridor was immediately created. The SP managed the forces. I directed all the officers there. We started the rescue work and the local villagers were very helpful. The priority was to save the wounded, ”he added.

SP Nath said that he was informed by his sources and the subdivision police officer that a big accident had occurred. By 7:15 pm, police teams had arrived at the scene and a platoon had been mobilized in the Balasore town of Soro, he told News18.

“When I arrived at 7:25 pm, I realized that the problem was a narrow road from the highway. So we blocked the road and created a green corridor. Our main concern was critical patients. I could see a tide of people. They were hurt. Many wanted to know where Kolkata was. They had no idea where to go. Our team was giving them instructions. Saving lives was our main concern and that was the direction of our prime minister: saving people in the golden hour. We were lucky to have the support of the local people. I saw my SDPO covered in blood. There were bodies everywhere. It was shocking. He told me that he himself was transporting bodies. They had started piling up, so we had to create a makeshift morgue in a school. We got great support from the CMO. Everything that was needed was given to us. The focus was first on rescuing critically ill patients in any available vehicle. We also had to mobilize JCB,” he said.

There were ample doctors, ambulances and resources, and there were no logistical issues, the IG said. “At that time, we had to demarcate the wounded. Our CM says that every life has to be saved. We were just following that. He

The biggest challenge was the tragedy itself. So many lives were lost. So many injured people were confused. Some were losing their temper, which is natural. We had to mount a lighting system. The telephone network was a challenge, a big challenge,” he told News18.

For Nath, the identification of the bodies was the real test. “First we moved to Balasore hospital. But as the number increased, we realized that we could not send so many cars. So we created a makeshift morgue. Keeping an accurate casualty count was also a challenge. The bodies also had to be decently maintained. We took pictures and changed them where all the bodies were kept and tagged them there. People came later and tried to identify them,” he said.

Recalling some unforgettable encounters, Lal said that there was the body of a child with a doll. “Nobody was ready to take it out…Everyone was crying. Another person was alive but a rod had gone through his leg. We had to get that rod out first,” the IG said.

SP Nath described the moment when he walked to the spot where the wagons were upside down. “I could see a mother desperately trying to push her baby (1-3 years old) out of a window. She wanted that even if she is not saved from her, her baby should live. I shouldn’t be saying this, but I took that baby and gave it to my PSO. I was shocked. We managed to rescue the mother too. There were many such cases: mothers and fathers looking for children… there was so much darkness. Since we were in uniform, everyone was asking us questions,” she said.

The administration, civilians and ambulances worked together, going above and beyond the call of duty, IG Lal said. He added that some ‘heroes’ have been identified who will be honored by the state government. Lal said that the telephone communication services need some improvements to deal with such situations.

“Usually we handle bodies related to murder cases, but at a time when you see hundreds and hundreds of bodies, it’s difficult,” Nath said. “Our SOP helped us react quickly. If all the people came together, this would not happen. At the time when other agencies arrived, we tried to make sure that there was a green corridor. We try to manage luggage. We created a section of lost objects. We recovered some 500 mobile phones and more than 100 wallets. All the agencies working as one team made a difference.”