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Reaching the familiar environs of Patna, Vinod Paswan, Rajni and Ashutosh Sinha felt a kind of relief that they had never experienced before.
They and other passengers were brought to Patna by a special train after the Patna-bound Shramjeevi Express derailed early on Sunday morning near Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh.
The incident claimed the lives of 12 passengers and left about 70 injured.
"It was happiest moment in my life when I smelt the air of Patna (on Sunday night). I was lucky to reach my destination unscathed," said Rajni, a Delhi-based student.
However, Paswan was not so fortunate. He lost an ear in the mishap but was still glad that he is alive to tell the tale.
"When the train derailed, we felt like an earthquake had hit us. The bogie rolled thrice over after the mishap," he recalled while getting first aid from a government doctor.
Their faces pale from the experience of having escaped death and grievous injury, the survivors recalled the traumatic event.
"I found myself in a nearby field after the accident as I was sitting at the door of a coach," said Nalinder Kumar.
He praised the Muslim students of a local madarsa (seminary) near the accident site.
"They were the first to help us and provided much relief," he said.
Similar praise came from a grateful Ganga Prasad Jha.
However, for 60-year-old Ayesha Khatoon, it is not yet over as there is no trace of her only young son.
"I was sleeping when the accident occurred. I survived the accident, but could not locate my son Javed as it was dark. I requested the police and other people to search for him," a worried Khatoon said.
Ashutosh Sinha said that soon after the accident, the engine pulled away from the bogies.
However, the arrival of the special train carrying survivors did not bring joy to everyone as some anxious relatives got upset on not finding their dear or near ones.
Sisters Pallavi and Sangita could not find their brother-in-law who was travelling in the ill-fated train along with his wife.
The only ray of hope was the fact that their names were not in the list of those injured or deceased, they said.
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