Kolkata: A 57-year-old man died after reportedly falling ill while traveling on the Howrah-Puri Vande Bharat Express on Wednesday. The East Coast Railway (ECoR) claimed in a statement that prompt action was taken to provide medical assistance.
The deceased, identified as Himadri Bhowmik, a resident of Dhakuria in South Kolkata, was traveling with a co-passenger in Coach C2, Berths 23 and 24, of train number 22895. The train departed from Howrah at around 8 am, and the incident occurred shortly before it reached Bhubaneswar.
Sources said Bhowmik began experiencing severe discomfort after the train left Cuttack. Fellow passengers alerted the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE), who reportedly assured them that medical assistance would be arranged at Bhubaneswar.
Upon arrival at Bhubaneswar station, Bhowmik was shifted to a hospital with the assistance of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel but was declared dead on arrival. Several passengers alleged a delay in providing medical aid, claiming railway staff were not immediately available at Bhubaneswar and that a battery-operated vehicle took considerable time to arrive. The train reportedly remained halted for around 45 minutes.
However, the ECoR asserted that all necessary measures were taken. In a statement, ECoR said, “At Bhubaneswar, the TTE, in coordination with the station manager, arranged for ambulance No. OD02CK 754. The patient, along with the co-passenger, was promptly sent to a hospital. RPF staff at Bhubaneswar escorted them to the hospital.”