CHIKKAMAGALURU: The last-minute change of coaches proved lucky for 110 pilgrims from Karnataka. The pilgrims from Kalasa, Samse and Horanadu of Chikkamagaluru district, who were travelling on the Bengaluru-Howrah Super Fast Express train, which met with the ghastly accident, had a narrow escape.
The passengers from the district were on a pilgrimage trip to the Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand, where the 24th Tirthankara had salvation. They boarded the train at 11.30 pm on Thursday and had undertaken the pilgrimage trip with the cooperation of Mahima Sagar Muni.
Owing to a collision between Coromandel Express and Bengaluru-Howrah Express and a goods train near Odisha, many passenger coaches of the express trains were derailed. The passengers from the district survived the tragedy as they were told to shift their coach to the ones in the front, which were not severely impacted in the tragedy. All of them had a narrow escape.
The train tragedy occurred at 8.30 pm on Friday near Bahanaga Bazar railway station. Santhosh from Kudremukh, who was on board the Bengaluru-Howrah Express, said the pilgrims were on a yatra to Chikati in Kolkata and the train had to cross through the Odisha border to take the route to the city.
“At 8.30 pm, the train suddenly stopped after a loud noise. We realised that some coaches of the train had derailed due to the collision. The DC and police officers enquired about our travel and made arrangements to continue our journey to Kolkata in another train at 12 pm,” he said.
Devikrupa Ajithkumar of Hornadu, another pilgrim, said the group of pilgrims travelled in the last three coaches up to Visakhapatnam. However, due to a change of engine, Kalasa passengers were moved to the front coaches.
“Due to the change in coaches, we are all safe and we thank God for his invisible help,” he said. Sarvodaya Theertha Samiti president Brahmadev said the pilgrims have reached Kolkata by bus and are expected to reach the Sammed Shikharji by Sunday morning.
Bound for Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand
The passengers from Chikkamagaluru were on a pilgrimage trip to the Sammed Shikharji in Jharkhand, where the 24th Tirthankara had salvation. They boarded the train at 11.30 pm on Thursday and had undertaken the pilgrimage trip with the cooperation of Mahima Sagar Muni. The pilgrims are from
Kalasa, Samse and Horanadu of Chikkamagaluru district