Police personnel stand guard at the site of train fire accident where forensic experts are conducting an investigation for the second day, in Madurai, Sunday, Aug 27, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
The tragic train fire that took place in Madurai on Sunday claimed the lives of nine. However, the ones who managed to escape unhurt, have mixed feelings - the sadness of losing their loved ones and relief at having escaped death.
Pradeep Gupta (62), a resident of Hardoi, said, "Sunlight had not completely set in and we were all asleep when suddenly a cloud of smoke engulfed us. In the next few minutes, panic spread as an unmanageable number of people jammed into the narrow space of the compartment. The passengers got toppled and stacked on one another," reported Times of India.
Sushila Singh (51), another passenger from Sitapur, recalled that the chaos was so intense that her clothes got ripped off. "We rushed out leaving our cash and belongings," she said.
51-year-old Jyoti Gupta, who was on her first trip to south India after spending Rs 20,700 for the tour package to Kanyakumari, Rameswaram, and Madurai, said, "In a compartment, there are washrooms on the opposite sides. Washroom in one side was locked and it was converted into a kitchen. I was going outside when I noticed the smell of LPG."
"Before I could understand anything, a cloud of smoke engulfed us. Everybody started coughing and rushing out. It was utter chaos," recalled Jyoti.
Jyoti said, “Throughout the journey, we kept objecting to the tour operators about cooking and serving us tea around 6 am." She added that neither the police or the RPF objected to it.
“Five others in our group had also accompanied us and fortunately arrived safely," she said.
Shiv Pratap Singh (65) from Sitapur, recalled the horror of feeling uneasy and waking up to utter chaos inside the bogie.
"People were shouting and wrestling to get out. I spotted a woman and two children locked near the door. So, I quickly brought out a wrench and broke it to rescue them. I managed to rescue four people, but two of my own family members died", he said.