The derailment of Utkal Express near Muzaffarnagar area took lives of 24 passengers and left more than 140 injured, but the accident has set up an example of communal harmony where people helped each other. When the mishap took place, Muslims living near the railway tracks were first to rescue the passengers. They were spontaneous enough to bring, water, food, cots, clothes and local doctors at the spot to help victims who were lying injured at the spot. Some Hindu saints who were injured at the spot claimed that if local Muslims wouldn’t have been there, the death toll may have been much more.
Bhagwan Das Maharaj, a saint reportedly said that “If Muslims living near the track would not have rushed to the spot and pulled us out of the train’s coach, we might not have survived”. The saint was accompanied by six other followers who had boarded the Utkal Express from Morana in Madhya Pradesh and were going to Haridwar to take a holy dip in Ganga.
“Muslims brought us water, food, cots and also arranged a local doctor for us who gave us some first aid treatment. We will never forget gesture,” he added. Three saints from the group were injured and were sent to Lala Lajpat Rai Memorial (LLRM) Medical College in Meerut for further treatment.
Another saint who was admitted at the hospital said that they believe in God and it was God who sent Muslim’s to protect them. “There are times when people are busy in politicising Hindu-Muslim ties, but there has always been love and affection between the two communities,” another saint Morni Das was quoted by Times of India.
Moments after the 14 coaches of Utkal Express derailed in Muzaffarnagar, senior officials, government and private hospitals in Meerut were put on high alert and emergency wards were set up for the accident victims.
Another saint Haim Das who faced minor injuries said there were many women and children travelling on the train. “All of us were chit-chatting and suddenly our coach got derailed. Initially, no one knew what had happened.
Meerut’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) said, “As many as 23 people were admitted to different hospitals in Meerut and are being treated. Also, 26 government ambulances and 26 private ambulances were rushed to the accident site to take the victims to hospitals”.
