Victims’ kin lay blame on lack of road
22 Aug 2013 4:31 AM IST
A day after at least 28 Hindu pilgrims were mowed down by a speeding train in Bihar, the survivors and families of victims on Tuesday blamed lack of road access to a temple near the accident site for the tragedy.
They alleged that as there was no foot overbridge the pilgrims were crossing the track at a railway station to visit the temple when the Rajya Rani Express train hit them on Monday morning in Khagaria district, over 150 km from here. Babulal Yadav, who lost his 10-year-old son Ramgrish in the tragedy, said: ‘Pilgrims are forced to take the risk of crossing the track to visit Katyayani Temple as there is no road access.’
Madhuri Mahto, who lost two minor sons Prem Raj and Ram Raj in the tragedy, said: ‘Pilgrims cross the tracks during festivals to reach the temple because there is no road facility.’
‘A road access to the temple could have saved so many lives,’ Mahto, a resident of Dhariyavas village, who himself was injured while saving his wife Sangeeta Devi during the accident, said over telephone from a government hospital.
Suresh Singh, a villager from the area, slammed the delay in arrival of medical help and rescue teams after the tragedy. ‘The family members and relatives of the victims carried them on their backs over seven km to reach the nearest highway and take them to hospital,’ Singh said.
Additional director general of police (law and order) S.K. Bhardawaj admitted that rescue work at the accident spot was also delayed due to lack of road access.
National Disaster Response Force Director General Krishna Choudhary said in Patna that all states must develop disaster response structure down to the village level. ‘There is a need to develop effective and accountable disaster response structure at the state level’ he said.
They alleged that as there was no foot overbridge the pilgrims were crossing the track at a railway station to visit the temple when the Rajya Rani Express train hit them on Monday morning in Khagaria district, over 150 km from here. Babulal Yadav, who lost his 10-year-old son Ramgrish in the tragedy, said: ‘Pilgrims are forced to take the risk of crossing the track to visit Katyayani Temple as there is no road access.’
Madhuri Mahto, who lost two minor sons Prem Raj and Ram Raj in the tragedy, said: ‘Pilgrims cross the tracks during festivals to reach the temple because there is no road facility.’
‘A road access to the temple could have saved so many lives,’ Mahto, a resident of Dhariyavas village, who himself was injured while saving his wife Sangeeta Devi during the accident, said over telephone from a government hospital.
Suresh Singh, a villager from the area, slammed the delay in arrival of medical help and rescue teams after the tragedy. ‘The family members and relatives of the victims carried them on their backs over seven km to reach the nearest highway and take them to hospital,’ Singh said.
Additional director general of police (law and order) S.K. Bhardawaj admitted that rescue work at the accident spot was also delayed due to lack of road access.
National Disaster Response Force Director General Krishna Choudhary said in Patna that all states must develop disaster response structure down to the village level. ‘There is a need to develop effective and accountable disaster response structure at the state level’ he said.
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