When 12-year-old Sabreen Parveen from Araria boarded a train for the first time, she could never have anticipated that the train she was on would be involved in a tragic accident. The horrifying scene of the accident remains etched in Sabreen’s memory. She was traveling to Kerala from Araria to pursue her studies, accompanied by 16 other girls from her town who were also heading to Kerala for educational purposes. The school they were going to was run by a trust that provided free education to orphaned girls. For many of these girls, it was their first visit to Kerala.
It is worth mentioning that 51 people from Bihar lost their lives when three trains collided in Balasore, Odisha. The survivors were transported back to Araria by bus. Araria MP Pradeep Kumar Singh, along with the entire district administration team, welcomed and assisted the returnees. The district administration then ensured their safe transportation to their respective homes.
State Disaster Management Minister Shahnawaz Alam expressed deep sadness about the accident and assured that the department was making every effort to provide assistance to all the victims.
These orphaned girls were on their way to Kerala for their studies, accompanied by their guardian, Mohd. Aquib. Aqib shared that they initially traveled by train from Araria to Kolkata and then boarded the Coromandel Express to Chennai. From there, they had to take another train to reach Kerala. Aquib recounted the accident, describing how the train suddenly derailed with a loud noise, causing people to tumble over one another.
Sabista, the youngest of five siblings, was also among the passengers headed to Kerala. She has two brothers and three sisters, and she is a 7th-grade student at a school in Kerala. Sabista’s father is no longer alive, and like Sabreen, she was also embarking on her first journey to Kerala with her brother.
The accident was so severe that the passengers’ belongings could not be recovered. Many people lost their mobile phones and bags, which contained clothes and money. Imtiaz, a laborer who was aboard the train, shared that he suffered a chest injury during the accident.
Passengers revealed that the government had not provided any compensation for their lost luggage. According to them, these affected individuals have not received any form of assistance.
Inappropriate Questions from an Officer
Some of the returning girls and their parents have accused an officer from the Araria district administration of asking irrelevant and unnecessary questions. Razia Praveen, who was traveling for educational purposes, stated that the officer questioned her about her marital status and her relationship with her companion. They also insinuated that they were being smuggled. The officer has strongly refuted these allegations.
Saba Praveen, who was traveling with Razia, also mentioned the unnecessary question posed by the officer. Saba explained that, upon seeing the bangle on their hands, the officer asked if they were married. Despite their repeated denials, the officer persisted in asking such questions.
Mohammad Nasir and Aquib, who accompanied the children, also shared that girls were subjected to unnecessary questioning that served no purpose.
Minister’s Response
The government’s Disaster Management Minister, Shahnawaz Alam, has taken this matter seriously. He informed ‘Main Media’ that he would verify the incident and, if necessary, meet with the affected children and their parents.
These girls who have returned from Odisha are still struggling to overcome the trauma of the accident. The memories of the incident continue to haunt them. Many of these children have expressed their reluctance to return to Kerala for further studies. Some of them had been studying there for more than five years. The fear of traveling by train has deeply affected their minds due to this accident. It was evident during our conversations with them that they require counseling. When asked about counseling, Minister Shahnawaz Alam stated that their current priority is to ensure the proper handling of the deceased and locate all the missing individuals.
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