Bihar family loses eight members in Hirakhand Express mishap

Six other people from this family were injured in the mishap and they are currently getting treated at a hospital in Andhra Pradesh.
Hirakhand Express derailed at Andhra. (RVK Rao | Express Photo Service)
Hirakhand Express derailed at Andhra. (RVK Rao | Express Photo Service)

PATNA: The Mirzapur village in Bihar’s central Begusarai district was filled with grief on Sunday after news trickled in that eight people from a family lost their lives while six others were injured in
the Hirakhand Express derailment near Kuneru in Andhra Pradesh.

“My life is badly shaken. How can I live normally like I did before?” cried an inconsolable Kari Dhami, 50, who lost his mother, two sons, two daughters-in-law, one daughter and a granddaughter to the accident. Kari’s wife, Ruma Devi has been in and out of consciousness since the news. His brother-in-law Lalan Dhami lost his 27-year-old son in the mishap.

The family belongs to the state’s poor Mahadalit community of scheduled castes. The nomadic Dhamis make a living out of collecting honey. Kari and Ruma’s only hope remains with their elder son Sajan
and his wife. “Sajan and his wife were to board a train the next day. So they are alive. God asked them not to get onto that killer train,” said Kari.

Six other people from this family were also injured in the mishap and are currently being treated at a hospital in Andhra Pradesh, according to Ruby Kant Kachhap, station house officer (SHO) of Khudawandpur police station.

“There is no clear news about how many people from this family died. We have no idea so far about any compensation for them,” said Kachhap who visited the family.

Tarun Kumar Roshan, the sarpanch of Bara panchayat pointed out that thirteen people of this family had left this village for Bengaluru a month back.

“After spending two weeks there, they came to Andhra Pradesh. They were engaged in collecting honey from trees and were moving to Odisha for the same work when the mishap took place,” he said.
 

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