Part 3.
Thirteen bogies in all lay mangled that night in what is one of the worst train disasters in Indian history. The reinforced metal of some compartments lay draped over others as if they were made of soft fabric. Over 300 people died and more than 600 were injured. The rest were just stunned. With a glazed look in his eyes, Om Prakash Bhagat, one of the passengers, looked for his wife and child. "They have to be here, how come I survived?" he asked disjointedly peering into bogies.
Lined up on...
more... the side of the tracks were the bodies that had been recovered. Some limbless, others cut into half by the impact, and all bound for the morgue at the North Bengal Medical College near Siliguri there to be assigned a number, and wait to be claimed. But many of the dead would have to lie in the hot afternoon sun for a while. Rescuing the injured came first.
#Continued.....