Introduction

Wants of men are innumerable. To satisfy his wants, a man has to do many things and has to face many difficulties. He has to go from one place to another. He has to make up a long journey also. To complete these journeys, he has got many methods of his own. In the ancient time, people used to travel by animal drawn vehicles, but this is the age of science and science has given, large number of conveyances to men. Now people travel by trains, buses, motors, aeroplanes and cycles etc. The travelling by trains is the easiest and comfortable. Men sit down comfortably on their berths in the railway compartments and travel laughing and enjoying. Though the trains are very comfortable to us, yet sometimes they put us in a difficulty. Sometimes we meet a very horrible railway accident which kills a large number of people without any fault of their own.

This accident is nothing but a happening or mishap which suddenly occurs in the life of man. These accidents are of many types as for example air crash, drowning, ship wreck and railway collision. A railway collision is very horrifying and tragic. As a result of this collision people have to bear the loss of many lives. Unfortunately I had to see a very horrible railway collision.

Description of a railway collision

Time and place-The night of February 15, 1976 will ever remain a frightful memory my mind. I have not forgotten this night and will never forget it throughout my life. I was travelling by the Punjab mail. In was sleeping comfortably on the upper berth. It was winter and so everybody was sleeping when the train met with an accident.

On that day the rush at Lucknow Station was great. The train with its fast speed reached the platform. The train was fully packed. The passengers began to run from this end to that to get a seat in any compartment. Who knew that the persons who were in such a haste to take their seats in train, were actually preparing to go to haven. So many of the passengers were sitting to die and so many to lose their hands or legs. The train started. The engine was running with the famous speed of the Punjab Mail.

There was nothing remarkable in the journey except the usual stoppages, hawkers shouting at the station in their usual professional voice and the passengers coming in and going out. Yet in-spite of all these common disturbances, the whole train was sleeping mass of human beings moving on wheels. The people started to doze and some of them enjoyed the luxury of sweet dreams.

There train had covered a good deal of journey so far uneventful. But now the appointed time of the accident reached. It was midnight when the train was to reach the station called Dumravan. Suddenly a great noise was heard. The train moved forward and backward. Actually the train collided against a goods train which too was coming on the same line form the opposite direction. The sweet dreams were broken. The sleep ran away and now the problem of life and death came before the eyes of passengers.

Scene after the collision

Both the trains had collided so fiercely that at least five front compartments of both the trains were smashed badly. All the persons sitting in these compartments died. It was the grace of Good that I was sitting in a compartment far behind so I was not wounded at all. I came out of the compartment and saw that a horrible scene was created. There were the shrieks of the wounded and the dying. The children were thrown away by their parents. The helpless persons were half dead crying for help. In the midst of the confusion, painful cries of men, women and children asking for help could be heard. A bride who was coming back with her husband after their marriage was wounded badly and was crying bitterly as her newly wedded bridegroom had been prey of this. A little girl was crying ‘Papa! Papa! Open your eyes and the father was deed. A child was crying at the top of its voice by the side of a dead body.

It was tragic drama of human sufferings and agonies. The engines were all smashed to pieces, the carriages were upturned, bro ken doors and windows were lying about uncared for. The accident was actually very horrifying and tragic.

The services rendered by railway authorities

Now railway officials and officers were seen there, moving here and there, doing their best to save the life of wounded persons. Immediately after this tragic collision, a group of railway doctors rushed to the spot. The dead persons were collected at one place. Those persons who were badly wounded were at once sent to the hospital. The persons who had got a minor injury, were given first aid. After this, the dead bodies were also carried to the hospital for identification. some dead bodies were also carried to the hospital for identification. Some dead bodies were so much smashed that they were not recognized at all. The persons who were slightly wounded were discharged at once and they started for their homes.

Conclusion

At least after five hours another rescue train with so many railway employees came. The smashed carriages were removed from the lines. The new engine was added to the train and the train started to move forward. We had to stay at the spot of the accident for six hours at least. All the passengers were shocked badly on account of this tragic mishap. Everyone was thankful to God for his safety. I, toc, was very much thankful to God as I sustained no injury at all.