Silchar/Haflong, April 24: Inclement weather has taken a toll on the Silchar-Lumding broad-gauge railway track as all passenger trains along the route were suspended today.
The 15602 Up New Delhi-Silchar Poorvottar Sampark Kranti Express, whose engine derailed between Ditokcherra and Bandarkhal station on the Lumding-Silchar hill section yesterday, reached here this afternoon.
Biplab Roy Choudhury, a passenger of the train, told this correspondent after reaching Silchar railway station that he had a harrowing time last night. "The incident took place between bridge number 292 and tunnel number 17. Rain washed away the soil under the railway track around 50 metres away from the tunnel's entry point. The driver pressed the brake hard when half of the train was in the tunnel. We felt a jerk," he added.
The train, comprising 21 coaches, was brought back to Ditokcherra around 10.20pm yesterday. "The engine was removed from the track today," a source added.
Anindita Das, who boarded the train from Delhi, said it had been terrifying. "There was no mobile network and I could not get in touch with my family," she added.
All the passengers were safe.
The chief public relations officer of NF Railway, Pranav Jyoti Sharma, today said, "The landslide was triggered by very heavy rainfall at four locations. Of these, three have been made fit for movement of trains by railway authorities. Work is still on at one location."?
"The 05601 Silchar-Alipurduar special, 55616 Guwahat-Silchar Fast passenger, which is now at Lumding, 55616 Silchar-Guwahati Fast Passenger, 25657 Guwahati-Silchar Kanchanjungha Express and 25658 Silchar-Guwahati Kanchanjungha Express, scheduled to start its journey tomorrow, have been suspended," Sharma added.
On Thursday, The Telegraph had reported the safety concerns flagged by chief bridge engineer of NFR Alok Kumar Verma.
Torrential rain in Dima Hasao has left most roads damaged and mobile communication have snapped. Mud, boulders, trees and debris have blocked Silchar-Lumding National Highway 54 (E).
A truck skid off the road near Miyankro on the Haflong-Silchar stretch yesterday evening when water from the hill hit the vehicle and the driver lost control. The driver is missing. Another vehicle got stuck on the road near Kipalo this morning.
Worker dies
A labourer from Tinsukia district, M. Tanti, died at Hayuliang in Anjaw district last night when a clump of bamboo collapsed in the rain.
Another worker, A.H. Khan, who was asleep when the bamboo collapsed, escaped unhurt. He is currently under treatment.The Centre has declared compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the kin of the 16 victims of the Tawang landslide triggered by heavy rain on Friday.
The Arunachal Pradesh government will give Rs 1 lakh each and the district administration has sanction Rs 2 crore for relief work. Earlier today, chief minister Kalikho Pul and officials cancelled their flight to Tawang because of bad weather.
Union minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, who visited the site, told reporters at Tezpur this morning that the extent of the damage was nearly Rs 2 crore.
"Arunachal Pradesh and other states, particularly Assam, NDRF and SDRF, army and paramilitary forces are on alert," he said.
Seven of the victims were cremated today at Dighaljuri, a hamlet near Sonai-Rupai sanctuary under Misamari police station in Sonitpur district. Another victim Aditya Rana, 25, was cremated at Tezpur. The janaja of Faruk Ahmed of Dhekiajuli was taken out at his home town.
