The Chap level crossing where Asha Devi was waiting for the Bagh Express to pass on Wednesday. Telegraph picture

Siwan, Sept. 28: In Wednesday’s train accident, Prince and Shubham have been left orphans, but not without a guardian.

The brothers lost their mother, Asha Devi (35), who used to work as a non-teaching staff at a Ramakrishna Mission school in the tragedy that also killed seven others while a speeding train rammed into a bus. Asha Devi was neither travelling in the 13019 Bagh Express nor was she a passenger of the bus, mostly carrying college students of Marvel Education Centre.

Like any other afternoon, she was only standing beside the tracks near the Chap level crossing to let the train pass. However, Wednesday was different. No sooner had the train rammed into the bus with 45-odd students than the vehicle dashed her, killing her on the spot.

The brothers were rendered guardian-less in a fraction of second as they lost their father, Nagendra Srivastava, a resident of Basahi village in Gopalganj, a few years ago.

Authorities of Ramakrishna Mission High School at Ramakrishna Nagar on Chapra-Siwan main road said they would now take care of the brothers. Gopalji Pandey, the general secretary of Sarada Educational Society that runs the school, told The Telegraph: “The school will now take the responsibility of the boys.”

He added: “Asha Devi was a part of the school. Now that she was no more, it is the responsibility of the school to look after her children and shape their future.”

Prince is a Class X student of DAV High School, while Shubham studies in Class II of the Ramakrishna Mission School.

Pandey also said: “We organised for her last rites and spent Rs 7,000 for it. At present, Prince and Shubham have returned to their father’s home. If they intend to come back to the school, they would be heartily welcomed. Let us see whether they return to our school or stay back. The school is ready for their welfare.”

The boys who have gone to Basahi could not be contacted if they wanted to come back to their new-found place for a better future.

Recalling how Asha Devi came to work for the school, Pandey said: “After her husband died, she came to us looking for work. As she was very poor she was given the job of a servant. She was also allowed to stay at the school and a monthly salary of Rs 1,200. The family was also provided food by the school authorities.”

Sources said they would be provided Rs 5 lakh compensation from the railways and Rs 2 lakh from the state government. The money would be given jointly to both the children, they said.