Dear Gangopadhyay: In the storm, branches flew on the head of the train! Then? Damaged pantograph. Power disconnected. Puri-Howrah Bande Bharat Express stopped mid-way. Passengers in trouble.
Bathing journey of Jagannath Dev is ahead. Puri in just 6 hours from Howrah! Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Puri-Howrah Bandh Bharat Express on Thursday. Passenger services have also started from Saturday. But on the second journey there was a setback.
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On this day Bande Bharat gave the intention of Puri to Howrah at the specified time. The train had not yet crossed the borders of Odisha. Heavy storm started in Manjuli area in the afternoon. with hail. Then? Tree branches break in the storm. And that branch flew and fell on the head of Bande Bharat Express! The pantograph was damaged causing the power cut. The train stopped midway.
What is the situation now? Shivaji Palji, a passenger of the Puri-Howrah Vande Bharat Express told 24 Hours, ‘I am standing across the Vaitarani river. Half the train is on the river, half outside. Railways doing repairs in wartime activities’. He said, ‘There is a loud noise. I was in the first room. Then the train slowly stopped. The lights go out. AC turns off. The security guard handled the situation brilliantly. The passengers were initially panicked’.