Train Tragedy

[Azaad]

Heartrending scenes were witnessed at DMC and CMC hospitals here as more than 17 students, who were injured in the accident between a passenger train and a van of Akal Academy at Gumtala, Bilga, were brought there in the morning.

Meanwhile, local residents were agitated over the incident and refused to accept the compensation offered by leaders. Gurnam Singh of Kandola Kalan said, “Is Rs 1-lakh compensation a solution to the problem?”

Three students, Manpreet Kaur (12), Simran (14) and Komal Preet (10) from Phillur Tehsil, died on the way to the hospital. Driver of the van Gurmail Singh of Gumtala village and a student succumbed to injuries in a hospital at Noormahal.

The injured have been identified as Sukhwinder Singh (12), Mankaran Singh (8), Prabhjeet Singh (8), Rajdeep Kaur (10), Khushneet Kaur (6), Balraj Kaur (6), Love Preet Kaur (13), Gurpreet (13), Muskan Singh (5), Gurwinder Singh, Navjot Kaur, Harpreet Kaur, Navdeep Singh, Surjit Singh, Sukhpal and Saranjit Kaur.

A majority of the injured students were from Dalla village. The parents of children alleged that the unmanned crossing at Gumtala had become a death trap. Many accidents at the crossing had been reported in the past.

Four students of PTM Arya Girls College, Noormahal had died and 16 sustained injuries when Dhanbad Express rammed into a bus carrying the students at the same level crossing two year ago.

Meanwhile, Sonu, who was travelling on the passenger train, said: “The school van was dragged up to nearly 400 m. The van was totally crushed under the train. Many children got trapped inside the van”.

It was only after the train was reversed that the children could be rescued. All students sustained leg injuries as their legs were crushed in the wreckage, said Sonu.

Concern was evident on the face of Jaswinder Singh, whose niece and nephew Navjot Kaur and Navdeep Singh sustained multiple injuries and their condition was stated to be serious.

“They are the most loved ones in our family and that was the reason why we wanted to give them quality education,” Jaswinder.

Surinder Kaur, mother of five-year-old Muskan said: “My daughter was reluctant to go to school, but I forced her to go. Had I accepted her request, she would have been fine,” she rued.

Harpreet Kaur Sahni, principal, Akal Academy, said the van was hired privately by parents and used to ferry 20 or 25 children daily to the school.