A ride of joy & hope turns tragic

ASANSOL/MURSHIDABAD/HOWRAH/KOLKATA: Angan Lal Dhano (70), Tallum Dhano (58), Dilip Dhano (60) and Prakash Dhano (45) -- all residents of Kanpur - had come to Asansol to attend a wedding. But they ended the trip with their life when the Delhi-bound Kalka Mail derailed in Marwan on Sunday.
Dayanand Singh (66), a retired employee of Iisco Steel Plant and a resident of Narshinghbandh of Burnpur, was travelling to Kanpur to meet his daughter.He, too, fell 80 km short of his destination. Mahammad Sagir (25) of Azad Basti in Asansol, who was going to Delhi for a job travelling in the general compartment, met the same fate.
The Dhanos were four among the 20-member group that came to attend the marriage ceremony of Punam, daughter of railway ticket checker Moti Lal. Lal was accompanying the group to Kanpur to bring his daughter and son-in-law back. He escaped miraculously but his sister Tallum, brother-in-law Dilip, uncle Angan and son-in-law Prakash died in the accident. Relatives Fagari Dhano and Lazzabati Dhano rushed to the site from Asansol. "Neighbours are consoling Geeta Devi, wife of Moti Lal, at home. She is now alone as all family members have rushed to Uttar Pradesh after hearing the news," said a neighbour.
Dayanand's son Bhupesh Singh also rushed to Fatehpur after hearing the news from railway authorities late last night. "We are two brothers and one sister. I don't know how to console my brother and sister. My mother has broken down completely," said Rupesh Singh, the younger son.
Similarly, Sagir's father Zakir Hussein said they have heard from neighbour that his son has died. "Three persons have been injured and are in hospital while another is missing. Neighbours rushed to the site to bring back the dead body and the injured for treatment in Asansol," he added.
Two people from Murshidabad's Jalangi and Khargram also died in the accident. Selim Mian, the 19-year-old youth, was going to Delhi in search of a job but died on the way. Selim's mother Asrafon Bibi said, "Selim telephoned me after he boarded Kalka mail two days back. But everything changed as we came to know from TV news that the train had derailed and many passengers died. Selim was going to meet his father Sentu Mian. His father had gone to Delhi 10 years ago."
Selim's elder sister Sonia Akhtar said, "My mother already lost consciousness twice when Selim's name was flashed on the TV screen on the dead passengers' list. We cannot imagine that Selim is dead. Uncle Rantu Khan went to Fatepur on a special train from Howrah. We are waiting for a call from him after he identifies the body."
Utpal Mondal of Barabhalkundi in Burwan, whose name also figures on the death list, was also going to Delhi in search of a job. His cousin Dipak Mondal survived as he was in another compartment that didn't bear the brunt of the accident. Nineteen-year-old Sudip Dhyang, a resident of Howrah's Jagatballavpur, was going to Chandigarh to work for a jeweler. Sudip had cancelled his earlier ticket for Wednesday as his sister's marriage was to be fixed that day. "What a fateful decision! At least my son would have lived if he travelled on Wednesday," wept father Shyamal. Only 15 minutes before the accident happened, the father-son duo spoke on the phone about whether Sudip had had his lunch. "He was hungry he said and was about to eat. Could he finally have his lunch?" the helpless father asked.