Naugachia/Bhagalpur: A young father and his year-old son, who had taken refuge from the raging flood beside the rail tracks of the Katihar-Barauni section of East Central Railway, were run over by the Rajdhani Express on Wednesday evening. The incident bared the tall claims of the administration about taking proper care of flood victims.

Irate villagers of Shankerpur Bind Toli, who were displaced by the flood and had taken shelter at Rabindra Bhavan located on the campus of Tilka Manjhi Bhagalpur University (TMBU), on Thursday gharoed the Nathnagar circle officer to protest the death of a flood victim for lack of proper treatment and inadequate supply of relief items.

Similarly, on Wednesday evening, children, who have taken shelter at a government relief camp in Sabour, demonstrated on NH-80 with placards carrying the word "DM uncle, please arrange food for us, we are hungry" written in Hindi.

Bhagalpur divisional commissioner Rajesh Kumar on Thursday expressed concern and admitted lapses on the part of the junior officials concerned, which has hampered relief and rescue operations.

One Ramesh Singh, 28, and his year-old son, Dilkush Kumar, from the flood-affected Sohora village were crushed under the wheels of the 12423 Up Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express between the Kataria-Naugachia railway station on the Katihar-Barauni section of East Central Railway on Wednesday evening.

Nilam Devi, Ramesh's wife, said they, along with other villagers, had taken shelter beside the railway tracks after their village, Sahora, was flooded. "My husband and son were sitting beside railway tracks when the speeding train mowed them down."

Rajesh Kumar, the chief public relations officer (CPRO), ECR, Hajipur, said the railways will ask the Naugachia administration to arrange proper places, mainly relief camps for flood victims, so that they do not stay beside railway tracks putting their lives in danger.

"We have no option, rather to stay under the open sky on high government land. We have not received any relief material from the government," alleged Kundan Kumar, another flood victim.

A mob of flood victims, along with a sizeable number of children, who have taken shelter at Panchayat Bhavan, Sabour, demonstrated on NH-80 at Sabour Chak on Wednesday evening and blocked traffic for over an hour. Later, the blockade was removed after Sabour police station house officer, Rajiv Kumar, gave them assurances.

Irate villagers of Bind Toli, located on the back side of TMBU, on Thursday gheraoed Nathnagar circle officer Rajesh Kumar to protest the death of Akal Mahato, 55, on Wednesday night.