3 min readMumbaiMay 6, 2014 01:20 AM IST
First published on: May 6, 2014 at 01:20 AM IST
Malad resident Vrushali Gurunath Mankane was lost in thoughts of celebrating her 36th birthday on Sunday May 4, when at 9.45 am, she heard loud shrieks followed by three massive “thundering sounds” as Diva Sawantwadi Passenger train emerged from Bhise Khind railway tunnel between Nagothane and Roha railway stations.
Alarmed by the sudden commotion, Mankane rushed to the door of the S5 coach and witnessed the engine and four coaches of the train fall off one after the other. Coach S5 derailed only partially and Mankane considers herself lucky to have escaped with only a swelling in both her legs.
“First I thought people were screaming, like they always do, as the train enters the tunnel. However, I kept hearing the screams even after the coach I was travelling in emerged from the tunnel. I suddenly heard three massive noises and rushed to the door. I saw people falling off the train.”
The eyewitness said she saw two metal plates fly off as the accident took place. Authorities later confirmed that the two metal plates as joggled fish plates that were used to protect the welded rail at the accident spot.
Mankane, who works in a city based dispensary, was on her way to bring her family, comprising her mother, elder sister and aunt from Kadvan village near Mandangarh in Ratnagiri district. She was initially set to get down at Karanjadi railway station, at 10.19am.
“Soon after the accident, I saw many people taking pictures, while others trying to pull out passengers trapped inside the coaches. However, with most of them buried under the coaches, the rescuers ended up pulling out only dead bodies. Fearing that passengers would die in the process of pulling out their badly cut bodies, many people even gave up rescue work.”
It was only after 45 minutes of the accident that the local police reached the spot, claimed Mankane. After an initial assessment of the accident the police went away to get more help. Later authorities told Mankane and other survivors to take the road as rail traffic was disrupted.
“I walked for six kilometres with my bag before I hailed an auto. I was supposed to reach my village by 12pm but I reached at 6.30pm.”
Mankane finally made it back with her family to Mumbai around 5am on Monday.
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