Bagmati Express Collision: Heard train's screeching noise, rushed out to help, say Villagers

KAVARAPETTAI (TIRUVALLUR): The day after a major train accident, a small village, Kavaraipettai near Tiruvallur is trying to get back to normal life after they actively participated in rescue works.

A lady in her late 60s residing near the railway station said, “Around 8.30 pm, we were resting in our house when we suddenly heard a loud crashing sound, which woke up the whole village. The scene I saw was villagers rushing to the tracks where the accident occurred.”

Walking along the tracks from the railway gate to the spot where the accident occurred, there were the remains of a dead cow with bees around it. Railway officials of different ranks and police officials were seen trying to get the railway line functional again.

A huge crowd, mostly residents of the area, were also found on the foot-over-bridge and around the station premises. They were curiously watching the restoration works after the accident, and most of them were grateful that a major disaster was averted.

The tracks had scattered parts of the train, coaches had fallen to one side and the ones with a lot of huge damage showed the intensity of the accident that occurred on Friday night. The station ticket counter was filled with a large number of luggage, which the staff said belonged to the injured passengers.

The station on Saturday was getting ready to be back to normalcy. The restoration works were taking place at a fast pace so that passengers using the route, especially the Chennai Central-Gummidpoondi section wouldn’t be affected for long.

A railway official at the spot from Friday night said, “We’re expecting the works to be completed by Saturday night for the up line, and the other four lines by Sunday morning.”