Recuperating at All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences-Bhubaneswar, Dulal Majumder, a resident of Assam and a lucky survivor of India’s deadliest train accident in past two decades, was in for a pleasant surprise on Saturday.
A week after the 12841 Howrah-Chennai Coromandel Express, which Dulal had boarded, met with an accident, he met his father Subash Majumder on Friday.
Till Tuesday (June 6), the Majumder family back home at village Uttarbarbil under Hawraghat police station of Assam’s Karbi Anglong district did not have any inkling about the train accident.
When local police approached Majumder family to inform about Dulal’s injuries, they got to know about the magnitude of tragedy and the lucky escape of their son.
Accompanied by a family friend, when Subash Majumder reached hospital here, it was an emotional moment for the father-son duo.
Dillip Banik, fellow villager of Dulal, said, “all five brothers, including Dulal, are daily wagers and have little resources to make ends meet. The family had no knowledge as to which train Dulal had boarded and when he would reach Kerala.”
AIIMS-Bhubaneswar, which played a key role in establishing contacts with victim’s family, issued a bulletin on the rare reunion. “Dulal Majumdar was referred from Balasore and was admitted with traumatic brain injury with frontal contusion and subdural hematoma. He was initially conscious but confused. Patient was kept under close observation with medications,” said the premier government hospital. It said, “as there was clinical deterioration and increase in brain swelling and masse effect on repeat scan, patient was taken for surgery. De-compressive craniotomy and hematoma evacuation was done. Patient improved following surgery and was weaned off from ventilator and intubated. Patient is now stable and shifted to ward and is able to speak.”
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“I am really happy to see my son,” said senior Majumder.
The AIIMS-Bhubaneswar had received 162 bodies of train accident victims and 81 of them were identified and handed over to family members. Another 81 bodies have been preserved at the hospital. In order to deal with problems arising out of identification process, DNA samples have been collected from 68 claimants.
