‘Eid Will Come & Go, Saving People More Important’: Kanchanjanga Train Accident Heroes [Video]

For 25-year-old Mohammad Rahul, a resident of Nirmal Jote village in Darjeeling, this Bakrid was like none other he had witnessed in his life. It was 9 AM on 17 June, Rahul had just finished his Eid prayers at the Eidgah along with his friends when they heard a loud crashing noise.

A goods train travelling at high speed had hit Kanchanjanga Express a passenger train moving on the same track. This resulted in the derailment of four coaches from the rear of the passenger train and five wagons of the goods train.

Rahul and 12 other Muslim college students immediately left the Eid celebrations and rushed to help.

“It was horrifying what we saw. The passengers were screaming: ‘Help me, brother save me first.’ For 24 hours, we tried to rescue as many victims as we could,” Rahul recalled.

Besides Mohammad Rahul, the men involved in the rescue included …