1,006 stranded passengers of derailed NE Express reach their destinations

Guwahati: A total of 1,006 people, who were travelling in a relief train to reach their destinations after the North East Express derailed in Bihar's Buxar district, got down at their respective stations, officials said.

Around 1,500 passengers were in the North East Express when it started its 33-hour-long journey from Delhi's Anand Vihar station for Khamakhya in Assam's Guwahati on Wednesday morning, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De told PTI.

"After the accident on Wednesday night, a total of 1,006 passengers boarded a relief train at Danapur next day morning to reach their destinations in Bihar, West Bengal and Assam," he added.

At 1 am on Friday, the special relief train reached Kamakhya, where 311 passengers got down. The other passengers disembarked in their respective stations en route, De said.

"Around 1,500 passengers boarded the train when it started in Delhi at 7.40 am on Wednesday. The number is a little high because those having partial tickets or were in the wait list also boarded," he added.

Out of the total passengers, around 1,200 had tickets for de-boarding at 12 stations in the NFR's jurisdiction, from Katihar onwards, the official said.

"There were 540 ticketed passengers for de-boarding at the five stations in Assam, including 389 at the final destination in Kamakhya," he added.

At least four passengers died and several people were injured when 23 coaches of the train derailed near Raghunathpur station around 9.53 pm on Wednesday, according to the Indian Railways.

The CPRO said, "The relief train started at 5 am on Thursday and was scheduled to reach Kamakhya at 11 pm. A total of 1,006 passengers came and they got down at different stations on the route." The relief train stopped only at the scheduled stoppages of the beleaguered North East Express, he added.

"Out of the total, around 500 passengers got down at the five stations in Assam," the officer said.

The passengers were provided meals and refreshments, and conducted medical check-ups during the journey. The railways will also arrange for their travel by road from the Kamakhya station till their home towns, he added.

De also said that no train from Assam is cancelled as of now due to the accident.

He said that the NFR has started helplines in different stations -- Guwahati (03612731621/22/23), Kamakhya (03612674857), Katihar (9608815880) and New Jalpaiguri (8170034242).

The Kamrup Metropolitan district administration, which administers Guwahati, has also set up an emergency helpline (9365429314), and asked people to contact for assistance.