Vishnudutt Dwivedi, Buxar. July 26, 1962 Thursday day and it was around 10:30 in the night. Suddenly there was a sound like a loud bang at Dumraon station. After this there was an uproar. Howrah bound Punjab Mail (6 down) rammed into a goods train standing on the down platform. The accident was so gruesome that five coaches of the Punjab Mail jumped on top of the goods train. The engine of the Punjab Mail rammed into the engine of the goods train. The sound of hitting was heard from several kilometers away. The bodies of the people standing at the doors of the train bogies were stuck to the surrounding trees. Then it was said to be the biggest accident of Eastern Railway.
The reason for the incident was the mistake of the cabin man. The engine of the goods train standing on the down platform was towards the west. The stoppage of Punjab Mail coming from the west was not at Dumraon station. The cabin man turned the signal green to allow the Punjab Mail to go straight, but forgot to convert the main line into a loop line. Seeing the green light from the outer signal itself, the driver of Punjab Mail increased the speed of the train. But the track did not change and collided with the Punjab Mail goods train running at a speed of about 110 kilometers per hour.
Gulab Singh is the eyewitness of the incident
Gulab Singh, a resident of Dalsagar village of Industrial Police Station Buxar, is an eyewitness to the incident. Then he used to stay in Dumraon at his maternal uncle, renowned surgeon Dr. Jagnarayan Singh. Gulab Singh told that he was eating food sitting in the courtyard when a very loud banging sound was heard. After some time, Inspector Suryavansh Singh sent the police and asked his maternal uncle Dr. Jagannarayan Singh to reach the station immediately with medicines and other staff. Gulab Singh also reached the station on his bicycle. The iron brake rod was protruding across the driver’s stomach. There was shouting all around. The dead bodies of the people standing at the doors of the bogies of the train were found sticking to the trees. The local people were engaged in taking the injured people to the Raj Hospital by giving them gigs. The cabinman was a resident of Varuna who had fled after the incident.
‘Will not go in the train now, will stay with Ammi’, children returning from Balasore to Bihar show fear of accident
Maharaj engaged factory workers in relief work
Immediately after the incident, Maharaja Bahadur Kamal Singh reached the station. Maharaj had a lantern factory (Dumrao Industrial Private Limited) near the station, in which about 150 laborers used to work. In this regard, Maharaja Chandra Vijay Singh, son of late Maharaja Bahadur Kamal Singh told that all laborers from Maharaja Lantern Factory were engaged in saving the people. The bogie was cut and the stranded passengers were evacuated by ordering iron cutting tools from the factory. Maharaj was engaged in rescue work the whole night. He saved a national level athlete in the accident, but due to loss of leg, he could not participate further in the game.
(youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ir5rA9hoq6c)
