Journey through hell and back

Relief is writ large on their faces. Just five hours after battling flames, it8217;s life as usual for those who survived the journey to hell and back.

8216;8216;I am so happy,8217;8217; said Manmeet, a resident of Meerut. Sitting in a room for the passengers of the ill-fated Frontier Mail at Amritsar railway station, she and her husband Surjit Singh want to forget the inferno that raged through their S-4 coach and continue their journey to the Golden Temple. Ask them to recount their experience, and they shudder. 8216;8216;It was awful.8217;8217;

It8217;s a sentiment shared by all the passengers who arrived here around 8.50 am 8212; two-and-half hours behind schedule. Amandeep, who was also in the S-4 coach where the fire started, said their first reaction was to flee, a task made difficult by the luggage stacked near the two doors. 8216;8216;Then, once the train slowed down, we jumped off,8217;8217; he said.